The Guardians of Hiata
by amberelisabeth
Summary: TK and Kari have been called on again to save the world. But this time, it's not the Digital or Earth. They find out some...interesting stuff along the way. Full sum. inside. NOT Takari.
1. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, unfortunately. If I did, the second seasonwould have been quite...different. Especially the ending.

Full Sum: TK and Kari have been called on once again to save the world. But this time it's not the Digital or Earth. Along the way they meet some...interesting creatures, get caught up in a Legend, make many enemies, fight many battles, find a different kind of love, and...oh yeah...find out some interesting things about themselves. NOT TAKARI.

A/N: Again, this IS NOT and will NOT TURN INTO a Takari. Also, this story will contain a lot of magic and magical things in later chapters, incase you didn't figure that out from the 'fantasy' genre. I'm only putting this note here so people won't flame me for "making it too unrealistic". So, now please read and review: The Gaurdians of Hiata.

"Are you sure these are the new Guardians of Hiata who have the power to defeat us?" a woman asked sharply.

"Yes mistress," an eerie floating half-skeleton ghost replied. "Those are the children. Two of them at least."

"They don't look very threatening to me," she mused.

"Their powers are only in the infant stages now, but very soon they will evolve rapidly."

"Will they be any use to us with developed powers?"

"Yes," the skeleton hissed. "When their powers first start to evolve they will be scared, confused, and in pain. If we can get to them before Karina, they will be very useful tools."

The woman smiled evilly. "Then let's make sure that we get them first. Send a Breathstealer to follow them. When their powers develop, it will weaken them and bring them back here. My Lord Isan will be very pleased, should this work. And it had better," she warned, placing razor sharp nails around the ghost skeleton's neck, "Or it'll be eternal torment for you."

The skeleton shrank away. "Y-yes my m-mistress Shaukaka. I'll send the Breathstealer out now."

"Very good," Shaukaka replied as she looked into the magic portal that allowed her to view the children. "Soon everything will fall into place. Starting with you two."

/o-o/

_Dark. Dark. Why was it so dark?_

_A high pitched shriek filled the air and TK had to clamp his hands over his ears to block it out. _

_How had he gotten here? Where was he? He didn't know. He cautiously lowered his hands and looked around when the sound stopped. No sooner had he relaxed, it started again. The shooting pain in his head caused by the awful sound made him very dizzy. He sank to his knees to keep from falling over._

_Again the sound stopped, but the pain didn't. It intensified. As TK bit his lip to keep from crying out, he tried to figure out what the heck was going on. This pain, it was more mental anguish than physical hurt. It was…dark…evil. Like what he had felt in both the Dark Ocean and the Dark Whirlpool, only magnified 100 times. _

_It didn't make any sense. And it scared him._

_As he concentrated on trying to make the pain stop, he noticed something weird. He could _sense_ where the dark energy was coming from. From his left._

_He forced himself up and stumbled slowly towards it. The closer he got, the worse the pain became. But he made himself continue. Suddenly, the pitch black surroundings faded to a murky gray. He saw a giant, human-shaped dark shadow with glowing red eyes in front of him._

_As he looked at it, he heard dark whispers in his head. _

'_Fetch child. Mistress needs child. Weaken and take boy child. Child is needed. Get child! Get child!'_

_The shadow extended its arms with their thin, razor sharp claws. Its red eyes narrowed as it came closer and closer. TK tried to back away, but found that he couldn't move an inch. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the fingers slowly wrap around his neck and begin to squeeze._

/o-o/

TK shot up in bed, gasping, and drenched in a cold sweat. He shakily swung his legs over the side of the guest bed he was using while at his dad's. He took deep breaths to try to calm his breathing. He pushed himself up and quietly walked out into the hall and into the bathroom.

Hands trembling, he turned on the cold water and splashed some on his face.

'_Get a hold of yourself TK,'_ he mentally ordered, _'It was a nightmare, that's all. Just my imagination. …but, it felt so…so real. Ugh, what am I thinking? It was just a nigh-'_

He froze as he looked closely in the mirror. On his neck were faint finger bruises.

He started to panic, but checked himself. _'Chill TK, think like Izzy. There must be some logical explanation. I must've subconsciously grabbed my own neck. Yeah, that's it.'_

But as he looked more closely, he began to doubt his theory. The thumb prints were high and to the side, a very awkward position for TK to have choked himself. Also, the fingers were much longer and thinner than TK's. Before TK could think further on this, another figure silently entered the bathroom, unnoticed.

TK jumped and let out a yelp when a hand was placed on his shoulder. He whirled around, terror evident in his eyes, and found himself looking into the confused and concerned face of his onii-san.

He sighed and relaxed. "Jesus Matt, don't _do_ that," he exclaimed wearily.

Matt looked down at him, worried. "Sorry Squirt, I didn't mean to scare you. Why are you up at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

"I woke up a bit ago with inspiration for a new song. I just finished it when I heard you. Which brings us back to my question, why are _you _up?"

TK tried to hide his trembling and appear nonchalant. "A small nightmare, is all. Nothing big."

"Right," Matt replied skeptically, "That's why you're shaking. Come on, I'll make some tea to relax you and you can tell me all about this 'small' nightmare of yours."

TK looked down. "I- I don't really remember it," he lied. For some reason he didn't want to tell anyone yet. Especially not his overly overprotective 'nii-san.

Matt inwardly sighed, well aware of TK's lie. "Well, then I'll just make some tea to relax you. Go wait in the living room."

TK complied, and ten minutes later the brothers were sipping tea. Matt kept looking over at TK, who had yet to completely lose his spooked appearance. Whatever nightmare he had must have shaken him up badly. Badly enough to make him lie, anyway.

Soon they were finished. Matt put the cups in the sink before returning to the living room.

"It's only three, so you should get some more sleep kiddo. Are you feeling better now, or do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep? I don't mind."

"I'll be fine 'Mato," he replied. "Besides, I know you're tired too." He stood up and stretched. Suddenly, the pain from his dream came back with a vengeance. He let out a sharp cry and fell to his knees, clutching his head.

He felt Matt hold him around his shoulders.

"TK! TK, what's wrong!"

"My head," TK groaned, "…oh Matt!…make it stop…it hurts so bad!…make it stop…" he trailed off as the intense pain caused his vision to dim. He let his head loll on Matt's shoulder.

Matt started to panic, "TK! It'll be okay TK, I promise. Just hang on buddy." He scooped TK up as carefully as he could and quickly carried him back to the guest room.

He placed the now limp form under the covers and sat next to him, smoothing his hair. It was too early to call a doctor, and Matt wasn't sure whether to call an ambulance or not.

He finally settled on calling his dad, who was working the night shift, and waiting. Minutes seemed like hours after he made the call as he watched the pale, trembling boy sleep.

Usually TK looked peaceful when resting, but his face clearly showed pain now. Matt looked up in relief as his dad came rushing in. Malcolm nodded a greeting to his elder son before turning his attention to the younger.

He checked for a fever, TK had a slight one, and checked the pulse, slightly faster than usual. He looked over and saw the scared look on Matt's face.

"Don't worry son, he'll be fine," he reassured. "If he hasn't woken by 7, we'll call a doctor, but he doesn't have a high fever or anything. He might have just gotten a very bad migraine. He can get medicine to help with it."

Matt nodded slowly. "But-But, he was in so much pain. Was it really just a migraine?"

Malcolm nodded. "I think so. His symptoms seem to fit. In any case, I'm sure he'll be fine. You, on the other hand, could use some sleep. I'll stay with him."

Matt shook his head. "I won't be able to sleep. I'm going to stay here too."

Malcolm nodded, "Alright, but don't blame me if you can't stay awake tomorrow."

Matt smiled weakly before turning his attention back to the form on the bed. He was sure his dad was right. Everything would be fine.

/o-o/

TK slowly came to consciousness. First he was aware that he was in a bed. Then he was aware that he could hear other people in the room, moving a little. Finally, he was aware of a dull throbbing pain in his head.

He slowly opened his eyes, wincing as light hit them.

"Hey dad, he's awake!" he heard Matt say excitedly from next to him.

He saw his dad lean over him. "How are you son?"

He shrugged and tried to sit up. Matt helped him. '_Bad idea' _was the first thought that passed through his throbbing head. He put a hand to his head. "Owww," he muttered.

He looked up as a pill was placed in front of him. "Here," Matt said, "It'll make your head feel better."

TK took it gratefully. "What time is it?" he asked, after swallowing the pill.

"Four in the afternoon," Matt answered. "You've been out for thirteen hours Squirt," TK could tell he'd been worried.

"Thirteen hours?" he echoed. "That long?"

"'fraid so. But the doctor said it was probably just a migraine. These pills will help."

"Oh, shoot!" Malcolm burst out suddenly.

Both boys looked at him curiously.

"I have a meeting at 4:30. I can't miss it. But I'll come straight home after. TK, you take it easy. Matt, you make sure he does. I'll order dinner when I get back. See you later boys."

"Bye dad," they chirped as he left.

Matt turned to TK. "You heard him. Take it easy. Maybe you should rest some more."

TK stared at Matt. "I slept for the past thirteen hours Matt, I'm not tired."

"Oh, right. Well, let's go watch TV then. Do you need help getting up?"

TK shook his head, trying not to be annoyed by Matt's super overprotectiveness flaring up again. "Nah, I got it." He pushed himself up and made his way to the couch. They sat down and Matt began channel surfing.

TK spaced out slightly while he waited for Matt to find a channel.

'_Fetch child! Child is needed!'_

TK jumped slightly. Was he hearing things? It was the same voice from his dream, only he wasn't dreaming now. Was he?

'_Mistress needs boy child! Weaken and take him! Weaken and take him!'_

TK looked over at Matt, who hadn't seemed to notice anything. He tried to shrug it off as nerves, but suddenly he saw red eyes outside of the window. He turned his head further for a better look, but the shadow disappeared. _'Oh great, now I'm hallucinating.'_

"TK? What's up?" Matt asked, finally noticing his otouto's odd behavior

"Umm…n-nothing. Just my imagination acting up. So, did you find something to watch?" he asked, changing the subject.

Matt looked at him weirdly before slowly nodding. "Yeah, MTV. That okay with you?"

TK nodded and tried to focus on the show, but his nerves kept getting the better of him. He just knew something else was going to happen. He could feel it. Somehow, he could feel it.

/o-o/

Late that night, around 11:30, TK lay in bed, trying to sleep. But, for some reason he couldn't. It was almost as if he was dreading it. He sat straight up as a scratching sound entered the room. It came from the window. Almost instantaneously, a throbbing pain began in his head again.

TK found that he could sense something dark outside the window too. He didn't know how he was able to sense it, but he knew it was there. He cautiously crept to the window and opened the shade. Nothing.

'_Okay, I'm officially losing it,' _he thought, sighing. He turned around and jumped back. That shadow was in his room! As it stepped closer, he stepped back. It reached out for him and he stumbled backwards quickly. The shadow only managed to cut his cheek.

The sudden action of moving backwards caused his foot to catch on the end of the bed, and he landed on his back on the floor with a thump. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and looked at the creature fearfully. Its red eyes glistened as it reached its hand towards him again. This time though, the hand began to turn to mist as it neared his face. The pain increased.

TK tried to shrink back, but there was really no where to go. The shadow stopped and looked up quickly, the misty hand only inches from the boy. TK wondered why it had stopped. Not that he wasn't grateful, but it was weird.

He heard footsteps come quickly down the hall. As the door opened and the light flicked on, the shadow disappeared instantly. He saw Matt looking at him, confused.

"TK?" he asked warily, going over. "Are you alright? I heard a loud thump from in here. And how did that happen?" he asked, more concerned as he saw the blood on TK's cheek.

"I-I don't know," TK replied. "But, I've been hallucinating ever since I took that pill. It happened again, just now. I must be losing it," he sighed, placing a hand on his head.

Matt looked at him, eyes slightly widened. "No, it's probably just a side effect. I'm sure it'll pass. We'll call the doctor tomorrow and see if he'll give you a different prescription. Now, let's get your cheek cleaned up."

TK nodded and followed Matt into the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub as Matt used water to wash the blood away. Suddenly, Matt stopped, and a spooked look came over his face.

"Matt? What is it?"

"I-I just realized something. You-you couldn't have done this to yourself."

"What do you mean?" TK asked quietly, concerned by his brother's tone.

"This cut is deep and straight, your nails are too short and dull to do that. Besides, I just realized…there's no blood on your hands."

"So, I wasn't hallucinating?" TK asked, shocked.

Matt shook his head before making TK look him straight in the eyes. "What exactly did you 'hallucinate' just now?"

TK looked down, something was telling him not to tell Matt. "It-it was dark, I couldn't really see. It just looked like a big person. I can't remember anything else. Sorry."

"It's alright Squirt. Umm…why don't we switch rooms tonight? Y'know, just in case."

"What if it comes back for you?" TK asked. "I don't want that to happen. What if I sleep in a sleeping bag in your room and you stay in your bed?"

Matt nodded, "Except, _you _get the bed. I'll use the sleeping bag."

"That's alright, I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"Well, I _do _mind if you sleep on the floor."

This little argument continued for nearly ten minutes and ended with Matt physically forcing TK to take the bed. TK pouted a little, but knew he wouldn't win. He just laid down and tried to sleep.

A peaceful sleep just wouldn't come to him, though. Every time he began to drift off, he could swear he heard the creature again, or at least sensed it. The sudden ability to 'sense' evil still freaked TK out, but he couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

He sighed and rolled over, looking at Matt's snoozing form. _'At least one of us is getting a good night's sleep.'_ Matt mumbled in his sleep and shifted.

TK sighed again, it was going to be a long night if all he could do was stare into space.

/o-o/

At about eleven in the morning, Matt finally woke. He sat up and looked over at TK. The boy was laying down, facing away from him. He quietly got up and walked over.

"TK?" he asked, shaking the younger's shoulder. "Time to get up."

"I was never asleep," TK mumbled inaudibly.

"What was that?" Matt asked from across the room.

"Nothing, 'nii-san," TK replied, forcing himself up. Boy, was he ever exhausted. Maybe a cold shower would wake him up.

He left Matt in the room and went to take the shower. He looked in the mirror before he started the water and inwardly winced, noticing the very visible bags under his eyes. He sighed and continued with his shower.

When he came out, Matt was sitting on the couch, fully dressed.

"Hey Squirt, we're going to meet Tai and Kari in, like, 20 minutes. Hurry up and get dressed," he said, barely turning his head.

"Sure thing," TK tried to sound happy, but the happy thing just wasn't working today. He hurried to the guest room before Matt could make an inquiry.

Ten minutes later he was ready to go. He and Matt headed towards the park at a nice even pace.

"TK?" Matt asked right after they left.

TK recognized the tone as one that meant unwanted questions were going to be asked. "Yeah?"

"Did you sleep last night?"

TK swallowed nervously. "Of course. You were in the room, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was sleeping. How would I know if you were or not?"

"If I had gotten up, you would have heard me."

Matt was silent for a few seconds. Then he continued, in a very serious tone. "If you slept, why are there so many bags under your eyes? Did you keep having more nightmares or something?"

"Sort of," TK muttered in reply. "You're taking this too seriously Matt. So I had a bad night's sleep, so what?"

Matt sighed. "Never mind Squirt, forget about it."

TK walked behind him with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was glad the subject had been dropped. On the other hand, he could tell Matt was at least a little upset. He hated when his brother was upset.

The walk to the park was silent after that, each brother lost in his own thoughts. Soon, they saw Tai and Kari up ahead.

After making the usual greetings, the foursome headed towards the mall. Matt and Tai led the way chatting, while TK and Kari quietly followed.

TK looked over at Kari. She was being very quiet, but he didn't know if it was for the same reason that he had. Only one way to find out.

He leaned over and nudged her arm gently to get her attention. She looked up and TK saw bags that reflected his own. He leaned in closer, so the conversation would not be overheard by the older brothers.

"Kari?"

"Yeah?"

"This may sound kinda weird, but have you…had any weird dreams lately?"

Kari's eyes widened slightly, "Yes, you too?"

TK nodded. They couldn't talk anymore, because the two elder siblings had stopped and turned around.

"We're here," Tai announced, "Let's go get something to eat."

"Is that all you think about?" Matt asked in a teasing tone, "Food?"

"Hey, a growing boy's gotta eat," Tai replied, laughing, "Let's go already!"

The four walked into a café on the second floor and sat at one of the window seats. As they waited for a server, TK looked out the window boredly. Suddenly, the shadow flashed by, seeming to pause in mid-flight to stare into his eyes. That stare brought back the annoying pain that TK was now starting to get used to. He tried not to be noticed by the others as he tried to catch another glimpse of the shadow.

After a few minutes he looked over at the others. They too were looking out the window. Tai and Matt seemed genuinely bored while Kari had wide eyes.

"Did you see that?" TK silently mouthed to her.

She nodded before gesturing to the older brothers with her eyes.

TK shrugged, understanding her silent question of why they hadn't seen anything. The four looked up as the waitress finally came.

"Can I take your order?" she asked robotically.

"Hamburger, fries and a medium coke," Matt answered.

"A piece of pepperoni pizza and a medium coke," Tai replied.

"And you two?" the waitress asked TK and Kari.

"Umm…nothing for me, thanks," TK replied, finding that he didn't feel like eating. That shadow had seemed to take away his appetite.

"Yeah, nothing for me either," echoed Kari.

The waitress shrugged before walking off. Tai and Matt looked at them, slightly concerned.

"TK, why didn't you get anything?" Matt asked.

"I wasn't hungry."

"But you haven't eaten for almost two days."

TK shrugged again and went back to looking out the window.

"Well, what about you Kari?" Tai joined in. "You haven't eaten for nearly 2 days either."

Kari sighed. "Have I ever told you that you blow things out of proportion?"

Tai 'hmphed' and leaned back.

As TK looked outside, he felt his stomach knot up and a strange dark feeling entered his mind. It was…calling him. Beckoning him to come find its source. Though he knew he shouldn't, his curiosity was getting the better of him. He stood up.

"I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a bit." With that, he left quickly, not looking back at the confused faces at the table.

He hurried down the mall stairs and out into the warm June air. He glanced around, trying to figure out which way to go. A feeling told him to go left. He walked down a bit and passed a dark half-hidden alley. The same feeling told him to go down it. So, without thinking, he did.

After walking about thirty yards, he found that he could barely see where he was going. But the feeling was stronger, and it was urging him on. He blindly followed it, occasionally cursing whenever he tripped on something.

Just when he thought about turning back, the alley began to get slightly lighter. Curiosity getting the better of him, he continued down the ever narrowing path. Soon, the walls were no more than two feet apart.

Suddenly, he felt a pang in his chest, and one in his head. He leaned against the wall, his breathing slightly heavy.

'_This was a bad idea from the start,'_ he told himself. _'I should just turn back now, before the others get worried. This is getting way too weird, and besides, what could possibly be at the end of this alley worth investigating?'_

He pushed himself up and turned back the other way, but found that he couldn't move. That feeling had gotten stronger, it was telling him that he needed to keep going. That he couldn't go back yet, there was something he needed to find.

'_But, what?'_ he silently asked.

He sighed, it was obvious that this was going to continue to haunt him unless he went. Sighing again, he continued down the narrow alley. Onlyfifteen feet further, he saw a broken door; its wood in shattered timbers.

'_What the heck is a door doing here of all places? I wonder where it goes. I guess there's only one way to find out. Here goes nothing.'_

He stepped through the door, glancing around cautiously. He found himself in a very dark place. He couldn't really see anything. Slowly advancing he tried to get his bearings. No luck. Suddenly, a shriek sounded.

TK clamped his hands over his ears, unsuccessfully trying to block the pain. _'Not again!'_

Suddenly, the darkness began to lighten. As TK looked up, he found himself looking at the same shadow figure that had been causing him so much pain. It looked at him evilly. _'This is _not_ good,'_ he thought as it reached for him.

A/N: Well? If you like the idea, I have more chapters waiting, but they won't be put up unless I get good reviews. Please, no flames. Constructive critism is alright, but I think that outrightflaming is stupid and there is no point.(Sorry if I offended anyone.) Also, this will apply to later chapters moreso than this one, but if you have any ideas for...well, anything, let me know and I will see if I can incorporate them into this story. Until next time. Ciao.


	2. Hospital Mayhem

Disclaimer: See previous chap.

A/N: This chap, especially the end, will be kind of boring, but it needs to be done to set the stage for the rest of the story. Also, I forgot to mention, this will be a _TK_ centered fic, but I will have other characters feelings and thoughts and stuff.So don't get mad if it seems like TK takes up most of the story.

Kari carefully walked through a broken door, trying not to get any splinters. Seconds after TK had left, she too had run off, ignoring the protestations of Matt and Tai. She had followed TK at a distance, wondering where he was going. She had continued to follow as he walked down the alley, but had lost sight of him in the dark. However, there was only one way he could have gone.

She froze as she heard a yell. It was TK.

"TK!" she yelled, running in the direction of the sound.

After a few seconds she saw a pale gray light ahead, two indistinguishable figures were in it. As she heard another yell come from within the light, she knew one must be TK. She sprinted as fast as she could, but stopped dead when she saw the situation clearly.

TK was lying on the ground, half curled up, clutching his head in agony. Above him was the shadow that had been haunting her for the past couple of days. It glared at her before turning its attention back to TK. The boy seemed to be out of strength as he didn't try to fight when the being reached for him.

Concern for her best friend gave Kari the adrenaline she needed to get over her fear of the shadow. She ran and dropped down by TK. She placed her arms under his and tried to pull him away from the shadow. TK opened his clenched eyes and looked up at her.

"What-what are you doing here? You have to run, or he'll get you."

"I won't leave you here," she replied stubbornly. She looked around for a way out, though she knew it was futile. Even if there was a way, she couldn't carry TK. And he was obviously in no condition to walk.

She looked up fearfully as the shadow advanced. Tightening her hold on TK, she stayed put. True, she could probably escape, but there was no way she was leaving her best friend behind. The shadow's hand reached out at lightning speed and Kari let out an involuntary scream.

A sudden power surged through her, sending out a burst of energy that seemed to harm the shadow. It backed off about fifteen feet. Kari sat, stunned. _'What the heck just happened! Since when can I do that!'_

She looked down as TK groaned a little and tried to sit up. She helped him, looking worried.

"Are you okay TK?"

He nodded. "It- it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Wh-what did you do?" Kari could tell that he was still in a good deal of pain.

"I'm not sure," she replied quietly. "It just…happened."

TK looked warily at the shadow, which was keeping its distance still. "Let's get out of here while we can."

Kari nodded. "Can you walk?"

This time TK nodded. He tried to stand up, but only got about half way before sinking back down. "Let me help you," Kari ordered, trying to take some of his weight.

"Don't bother," hissed a female voice, "You can't lift him, and you won't be going anywhere anyway."

TK and Kari looked up sharply and gasped. In front of them was a gray skinned woman with ragged black wings. She had dull silver hair cascading down her back and hollow yellow eyes. She was standing there, wings half folded, staring at them maliciously.

"Come now children," she hissed, holding out a hand. "Let's make this as quick as possible."

TK and Kari scrambled back, still on the ground.

"Who are you?" TK demanded, hoping he sounded more courageous than he felt. "What do you want?"

"Why so many questions, son of BlackWolf?"

"What?" asked TK, confused. "Son of who?"

The woman smirked, "Why, the son of BlackWolf, of course. The greatest Shadow Mage to ever walk the land of Hiata. Do you not even know of your own heritage?"

'_What the hell is she talking about! Dad's not 'BlackWolf', no way. She's insane!'_

"What is this Hiata?" Kari asked demandingly, "And you still haven't told us _who_ you are."

"Impatient, aren't we? Just like EvenBreeze, your mother. But, very well, I will answer your question. I am Shaukaka, mistress of the Lord Isan. Soon to be Queen of all of Hiata."

Kari, who was still reeling from Shaukaka's inference that her mother was someone else, called out, frustratedly. "Just what is Hiata anyway! Tell me!"

Shaukaka chuckled darkly. "It is your homeland, that's what it is, Guardians of Hiata."

"What are you talking about? Japan is our home, always has been," TK replied.

"That is what you were always meant to think, young ones. But you are not true born to your families. Yes, out of your mothers' wombs you were born, but you were placed there. Nancy Takaishi and Carla Kamiya were chosen to raise the ones who would alter our world. They were chosen to raise the kin of the greatest Shadow Mage and the greatest Wind Elemental."

"I don't believe you," TK said, struggling to his feet, "Personally, I think you're a crazy digimon. We're leaving now. Why don't you go back to your padded room? Leave us be."

He and Kari began walking back towards where they thought the door was, but their path was blocked. Shaukaka had seemingly transported in front of them.

"You're not going anywhere," she growled, "Except with me!" She reached out to grab them.

TK's eyes widened and he pushed Kari aside. "Run Kari! We have to get to the door!" he yelled as he went the other way. Kari followed his instructions and began to run in the dark again. She thought TK was right behind her.

In reality, TK was nearly fifty feet away, being chased by Shaukaka. Having not recovered completely from the physical exhaustion the pain had caused, he was slowing fast. He let out a sharp gasp as a clawed hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him back. He was slammed onto the ground, the force causing him to see stars. As Shaukaka leaned closer, pain surged in his head again before spreading through his entire body.

"Do you know _why_ BlackWolf was such a good warrior against evil?" she hissed, inches away from his face. "He could sense the darkness, like you can. However, unlike you, he could control it, manipulate its power, and it did not pain him. But, it still destroyed him in the end, just like it will destroy you. You will live your final days in agony ten times worse than this before your body finally can't take anymore! Unless you come with me. We can make the pain stop. We can save you from yourself."

Beneath her, TK was inwardly writhing in torment. But he didn't let it show. "No, never," he gasped out, suffering from lack of air due to the hand crushing his throat.

Shaukaka's eyes seemed to burn for a second before she squeezed his neck more. "If you want to do this the hard way, it's no problem of mine. I'll let Lord Isan deal with you when you awaken."

She squeezed harder and harder until TK's air was cut off completely. He clawed at her hand, but she didn't seem to feel pain. His motion slowed as his vision began to fade. As he was on the verge of blacking out, a cynical thought passed through his head. _'On the bright side, at least the pain will stop.'_

/o-o/

Kari inwardly whooped for joy as she saw the door in the distance. "Come on TK, we're almost there!"

No answer.

"TK?" Kari turned around, sure her best friend was right there. Her heart practically stopped when she didn't see him. She glanced around frantically. "TK! Where are you!"

Her breath caught in her throat when she found him. He was pinned down by the awful Shaukaka. She was holding his neck, and he seemed about ready to pass out.

"TK!" she turned and bolted towards him. She hadn't left him before and she had no intention of leaving him now.

When she saw TK fall limp, she felt that same energy from before build up in her. As she neared Shaukaka it was released. The demonic woman screeched as it hit her and released TK's neck, shrinking back a little.

"TK! TK answer me! Wake up!" Kari cried, frantically shaking her friend's shoulder. His breathing was very shallow, but at least he was breathing.

"You little witch!" Shaukaka yelled, lunging at her.

Kari found herself suspended a foot or so in the air, clawed hands wrapped around her arms, digging into her skin. She struggled, but couldn't get away. She closed her eyes, desperately wishing for another one of those weird energy bursts. But she felt exhausted from the last two.

"Not this time," Shaukaka said menacingly. The demon forced Kari to look deep into her eyes. As she did, Kari felt her exhaustion rapidly growing. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stay awake.

As she closed her eyes she was suddenly dropped. She landed roughly and considered giving into sleep, but forced her eyes open. She saw TK fighting with the woman.

TK tried to get a hold of Shaukaka's neck, in order to make her lose consciousness. He had woken back up and found the woman trying to hurt Kari. Enraged, he had tackled the strange demon. Now he was fighting hand to hand with her. And he was losing.

She clawed at him, scratching his face, arms, and chest. He tried to fend her off, but couldn't. He was still so weak from whatever she had done to him. Suddenly she used her wings to sweep him off his feet. He landed hard on his back, the air knocked out of him.

"I don't care what my servant said!" she yelled enraged. "No tool is worth all this trouble! It'd be better if you two were both dead!"

TK stared up, terrified, as a crazed look came over the woman's eyes. She flew up in the air a few feet before diving towards him, claws extended. He closed his eyes and turned his head to the side, waiting for the deadly impact. It never came.

He opened his eyes slowly, but nothing was above him. He heard a moan and turned his head towards it. He saw Shaukaka crumpled on the ground, clutching her side in apparent pain. Turning his head again, he saw Kari kneeling, hands extended in front of her, breathing heavily. She closed her eyes and slumped to the side, quietly landing on the ground.

"Kari!" TK croaked out, turning onto his side. He tried to push himself up to get to her, but he was just so weak. He winced as the pain in his head flared up yet again. It hadn't actually ever gone away, but he had been able to ignore it. Now it was searing.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Shaukaka rise again. She stumbled towards the children, murder in her eyes. She stopped only a few feet away. Cursing, she glared at TK.

"This is not over," she threatened. "I will find you and I _will_ kill you!" with this, she flew up into the sky, disappearing about twenty feet up.

The last thing TK heard before blacking out was the sound of familiar yelling voices.

/o-o/

TK inwardly groaned as he woke up. Boy, did his head hurt. It was a constant throbbing pain that never got worse, but never got better either. After a few minutes he decided to make an effort and open his eyes.

Blinking to clear his vision, he looked up at a white ceiling. A few seconds later a head blocked his vision and he saw Matt looking down at him, visibly relieved.

"Hey there, Squirt," he said quietly, smiling slightly, "Glad you decided to join us back here in the land of the living."

"What?" TK asked groggily, trying to sit up.

Matt helped prop him up before responding. "You've been out for a day and a half. We found you and Kari in an alley, all beat up. What happened kiddo?" he asked, brushing some hair out of TK's eyes.

"I-I'm not really sure." Well, it wasn't a complete lie. While he _knew _what happened, he didn't understand it at all. "How's Kari?"

"Oh, she's fine. She woke up a few hours ago. Just a few bruises and cuts on her arms."

"Oh, okay," TK replied. He was relieved that she was okay, he had been so worried when she had collapsed.

"You're a little worse though," he heard Matt say.

"What do you mean?" he asked, speech slightly slurred from tiredness.

"Well, you have bruises all over, especially on your neck. And, you have cuts all over your top half. Do you know how that happened?"

TK shook his head. He hated lying to Matt, but telling the truth might be worse. He sighed and put a hand on his head. "My head hurts," he complained quietly.

Matt frowned a little. "I'll tell the doctor when he comes in again in a few minutes. Now, think hard. Are you _sure _you don't remember _anything_?"

TK sighed and nodded. Obviously Matt didn't believe that he couldn't remember, but the truth was even harder to believe.

Matt frowned a little more, "Alright, maybe you'll remember something when your head's a little clearer. Right now why don't you try to get some more sleep? You still look exhausted."

TK was about to agree when a thought crossed his mind. What if Shaukaka came back while he was sleeping? She didn't seem to like being seen by others, but Matt couldn't stay forever. "Are you leaving?" he asked him.

Matt nodded. "In about half an hour. Visiting will be over then. I'll come back in the morning, though, and mom and dad will be with me. Why?"

"Just…wondering. Umm, will you wake me up when you leave? Please?" he added, seeing Matt's unsure look.

"Well…I guess. But you won't get much rest if I do that. Will you go back to sleep after I leave?"

"I'll try," he half-lied.

Matt thought for a second. "Okay, I'll wake you up when I leave. But, go to sleep now. Alright?"

TK smiled slightly and nodded. He let Matt lay him back down and he closed his eyes. He really was exhausted, but he only was going to sleep if someone was with him in the room. So when Matt left, he would stay awake until the next morning. Hopefully.

It seemed like it had been only seconds when Matt shook him gently. "I have to go now Squirt."

TK frowned. "Already?"

"It's been thirty minutes. But, I'll see you in the morning. 'kay?" he asked, leaning down and giving TK a small hug.

TK nodded slightly as he hugged back, reluctant to let go as Matt gently pulled away. Matt must have misinterpreted his reluctance as nervousness about staying in the hospital, for he smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry kiddo, it'll be fine. You'll be able to come home in a couple days. They just want to keep you here for observation and to make sure there isn't any internal damage." He looked up as a nurse came in. "I really gotta go now. See you soon. Bye."

"Bye," TK called quietly as Matt left. He turned to look at the nurse as she prepared a needle. "What's that?"

She looked up at him and smiled, "Just something to help you sleep."

TK's eyes widened slightly. He didn't _want_ to sleep. "I don't want it," he told her.

"Sorry sweetie, you have to have it. Besides, it'll also make your head feel better. Now, hold still." She cleaned part of his arm with an alcohol swab.

TK squirmed a little. "But I _really_ don't want it."

She looked down a little confused, until a look of realization came over her. "Oh, you don't like needles, is that it?"

TK looked back at her. No, he wasn't scared of needles, but he could pretend he was if it would keep her from putting him to sleep. "Yeah, I-I don't like them."

"Y'know, I remember another little boy just like you. He didn't like needles either, but he had to get shots everyday. He would fight back and another person would have to hold him down while he got the shot. But then we figured out how to make him stay still. Before he got the shot, we would talk to him and he wouldn't even notice getting the actual shot," the nurse chuckled. "Just like you didn't."

TK's eyes widened in surprise as he saw that the tube in her hand was now empty. He had fallen for the 'distract-the-kid-with-a-relevant-story' trick. How stupid was he? He glared at the nurse as she threw the used needle away. She just chuckled as she left and turned out the light.

Only a few minutes later he felt the medicine start to take effect. He began to get more drowsy than he had been before. Time seemed to slow as he drifted closer to unconsciousness. But he refused to give in. He forced his eyes open, pinching himself whenever he got too close to sleep.

For the next hour or so he managed to stay awake with little problem. But then, it began to get harder. He found himself dozing more and more often. Never falling into a deep sleep, but resting nonetheless. His will power was the only reason he wasn't dead asleep.

That's how he spent the rest of his night, fighting to stay awake. He tossed and turned, looking for the most uncomfortable position he could find. If he was uncomfortable he would be less likely to fall asleep. However, every uncomfortable position somehow managed to become comfortable after not too long.

He sighed in relief as the nurse came back in hours later.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked, smiling.

"Uh, sure," TK lied groggily.

Her smile faltered slightly as she noticed bags under his eyes. "Well, it's time for breakfast before the visitors come. What do you want? We have pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, whatever you want."

"I'm not hungry," TK replied. He hadn't been hungry for the past couple days.

"You need to eat something," the nurse insisted.

"If I eat anything, I'll probably be sick."

The nurse frowned slightly. "Alright, I suppose I'll let you off the hook for now. You'll need to eat lunch and dinner though. Oh, your family will be here very soon. I will see you later, I'm sure." With that she left.

TK watched the clock intently for the next fifteen minutes until he heard Matt talking out in the hall. He smiled as Matt walked in, but that smile quickly left as he saw how serious his 'nii-san looked. Matt sat by the bed and looked down at him.

"What's wrong Matt?" TK asked, trying to sit up.

Matt helped him, sighing. "Why didn't you sleep last night? The nurse said you practically fought her when she tried to make you. She said you were awake whenever

the night nurse walked by. And why didn't you eat this morning? It's been nearly 4 _days _since you last ate. Well?"

TK shrugged. "I don't like it here. I didn't want to sleep and I didn't want to eat."

Matt scowled, leaning closer. "Don't lie to me. I know it's something more than that. Just like I know you know more about your attack than you and Kari are letting on. Something's been going on with you two for the past few days, and Tai and I want to know what it is."

TK looked away, unable to meet Matt's intense gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Matt sighed again. "Fine, if that's how you want to be," he said shortly.

"Come on Matt, don't be like that."

"Like what? My little brother is outright lying to my face, how am I supposed to be?"

"Matt-"

"No, TK, just…stop. You look tired, get some sleep. _Now_," Matt ordered crossly, laying him back down.

"But-" TK sighed, seeing Matt's closed expression. "You don't understand," he murmured almost inaudibly. He closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, no longer caring if Shaukaka came back. What did it matter what happened next, if his onii-san wouldn't talk to him?

Matt looked down at TK as his parents continued talking to the doctor outside. Maybe he had been too hard on the boy. He had seen the hurt in TK's eyes when he had snapped at him. And he hadn't really given his otouto-chan the benefit of the doubt.

'_Man, I _hate_ being hot headed!'_ he thought_ 'TK must think I'm really mad at him now. But I'm not, I'm just worried. He probably doesn't understand. I'll have to make sure I set things straight when he wakes up.'_

He looked up as his parents walked in, and then looked back down. "I'm sorry TK," he whispered so only TK would be able to hear. If he was awake, that was. He stood up as Nancy sat by the bed and walked towards the door.

"Where're you headed son?" Malcolm asked.

"I'm gonna go talk to Tai. See how Kari's doing since TK'll probably ask when he wakes up."

"Alright, don't be gone long."

Matt nodded as he continued out. Kari's room was just down the hall. When he got there he saw that Kari was asleep and Tai was sitting in the room alone.

"Hey man," Matt greeted.

Tai looked up. "Oh, hey. Umm, is something wrong? You look kinda down."

Matt sighed. "TK wouldn't talk and I got frustrated and kinda…snapped at him. He must think I'm angry with him, but he went to sleep before I could explain."

Tai frowned. "Sounds like what happened in here. So, TK didn't say _anything_?"

"No," Matt replied with a frown of his own, "He hasn't slept or eaten for a while, and he claims nothing's wrong. I don't understand."

"I know what you mean. Kari didn-"

He cut off as a loud rumbling was heard.

"What the hel-"

Matt couldn't finish his sentence because the rumbling sound turned into rumbling movement. Not a gradual change either. The force knocked both boys to the floor of the room. All throughout the hospital people were screaming. It didn't help when the lights flickered and went off.

Panic ensued further because, being a hospital, the place needed power to keep some people alive.

Tai tried to push himself off the ground and get to Kari, but he couldn't because of the shaking. He was worried, she hadn't made a sound yet. He looked around sharply as he thought he heard movement inside the room. But it was only there for a split second.

A few seconds later the entire floor became ice cold. But it wasn't a natural cold, it was …almost synthetic.

As suddenly as all the odd events had begun, they stopped. The floor warmed, the rumbling stopped, and the power came back.

Tai pushed himself up right away and looked towards the bed. He almost collapsed back down when he saw it. It was empty. He heard Matt gasp beside him.

Then, from not too far away, they heard a pair of distinct voices calling a name. Matt drew a sharp intake of breath. His parents.

"TK!" he called as he ran out, leaving Tai alone. Tai barely noticed.

Matt ran the few feet to his brother's room and froze in the doorway. His mother was crying, his father looked ready to, and TK was gone. His legs almost gave way and he fell into the door frame, barely still standing.

"TK," he whispered. "No, not TK."

A/N: Like I said, it will get more interesting from here. And if you're confused, don't worry, things will be explained later. If _anyone_ at all wants me to continue, I will.Along with chap. 3, I will also put up a glossary type thing to explain things that won't be explained in detail in the story. It'll also be a handy reference if you forget what something is or become confused. 'Till next time. Hasta Luego.


	3. Enter Katya

Disclaimer: Never have, never will

TK awoke slowly with a pounding headache. Forcing his eyes open, he expected to see the white of the hospital room. But…no. He was in a dark room, on the floor. He could barely see anything. He tried to sit up, but found that his hands were bound tightly behind him.

He craned his head as he heard noises coming from somewhere outside the room. He laid in apprehension, as he could do nothing but wait. He held his breath as the noise stopped outside of what he determined to be the door. A handle turned and a figure entered. Suddenly, the room lightened to a pale shade of gray.

TK gaped at the figure. The figure's upper half was that of a well toned man, while his lower half was a snake body. The scaly tail seemed to be about 10 feet long and had spikes coming out of it from various points. As if that weren't imposing enough, he had great wings on his back, like those of Shaukaka. Piercing red eyes peered at TK from behind tangled black hair.

"So this is the _Guardian _who is said to be so powerful," he mused, practically spitting the word Guardian. "He's nothing more than a pathetic human child. I do not see how you could pose a threat," he continued, using his muscled tail to force TK into a sitting position. He placed the tip of his tail under the boy's chin and forced him to look up.

The man/creature chuckled evilly at the fear evident in TK's eyes. "Scared? At least you have some common sense. Tell me, _Guardian_, what is your name?"

TK didn't answer, he was still speechless. The man/creature growled and whipped his cheek with the tip of his tail.

"I asked you a question."

"T-Takeru," he answered, feeling a little blood run down his face.

"Well, small Takeru, do you know who I am?"

TK shook his head.

"Weak, scared, _and_ ignorant. You're definitely no threat to me. For I am the great Shadowlore Lord Isan, lord of evil and soon to be lord of all of Hiata."

TK processed this new bit of information. So, it was another evil guy trying to take over a world. But, somehow this villain seemed a bit more serious than the others.

Lord Isan looked down at him again. "My Queen has told me of your developing powers BlackWolf-son. How you can sense evil. But she says it is all you can do, is that right?"

TK nodded slowly, not wanting to upset the beast more than necessary.

Lord Isan smiled wickedly and slithered around until his tail was wrapped around TK's chest and their heads were nearly level. "It is a pity. You have the potential to do so much more. Your father was able to create and destroy shadow magic, and with proper training, you could too. But you will not get that training with anyone but myself. No one else can teach you something so powerful. And," he added, placing a hand on TK's temple, "I can make it not hurt anymore."

To emphasize his point, he sent a jolt of pain through the boy, making it go all through his body before resting in his head. TK whimpered a bit, but tried not to show that it had hurt greatly. This thing, this Lord Isan, was evil, he couldn't, _wouldn't_, accept his help. He shook his head fiercely to make sure Lord Isan got the point.

Isan scowled deeply, squeezing TK's chest a bit so that the spikes scratched him, and sent more pain through him. "You _will_ join me. You have no choice."

"I won't," TK replied through gritted teeth, "I can't."

"But you _will_," Isan hissed, "Or maybe I should go back to your world and punish your family and friends because of your insolence."

TK stilled, "You wouldn't," he said, shocked.

Isan smiled his wicked smile. "Do you want to risk their futures on the off chance that I might be lying?"

TK swallowed dryly. He couldn't take the chance. "Do whatever you want with me," he surrendered quietly, "Just don't hurt them."

Isan's smile grew wider as he retrieved something from a pouch at his hip. TK saw that it was a metal armband. It was made of a few jagged metal strands which formed a ring to go around the arm. In the center on the front was a purple/black stone a little larger than a quarter. It appeared rounded from what TK could see. All the metal bands led to that stone and surrounded it.

Isan loosened his tail a bit and untied TK's wrists. He grabbed TK's right arm and pushed the armband on it. When it was placed about halfway up the upper part of his arm, Isan let go. TK let out an involuntary gasp as the stone started to glow and the metal began to shrink. Soon, it closed around his arm tightly. The stone still glowed.

As the glow got brighter, TK felt an energy traveling through him, running through his blood. He couldn't describe it, it felt good and bad at the same time. Suddenly, the good feeling left and it felt as though fire was coursing through his veins. He cried out a little and tugged at the metal on his arm. Isan moved his tail so that it pinned TK's arms to his sides.

"Quiet, child. It will be over soon."

TK tried to stay still and obey Isan, but the pain was too much. He struggled against Isan's hold to try to pull the band off. However, he only managed to cut himself on Isan's spikes.

He found that Isan was correct about the pain though, it started dying down only 2 minutes later, though it felt like an eternity to TK. A few minutes later the pain had vanished completely and the glow had died.

"What-what happened?" TK asked shakily, still able to feel some of the pain.

"That is the stone that your father, BlackWolf, wore to channel his power. Now it has passed to you. It has accepted you as its new owner, and it has bonded to you. That was the pain you felt. Now, if you remove it before you die, it will kill you."

TK stared uncomprehendingly.

"It will all make sense in time young Takeru. However, first I have something else for you. I put that armband on you to control your power, and I am putting this on to show that you now belong to me."

He reached into the pouch and pulled out what looked like a metal collar to TK. Isan fastened it around his neck. It was leather-lined and fit snugly. There was a ring on the front. TK scornfully recognized that it was for a leash. He was nothing more than a _pet _to Isan.

"That is my mark of enslavement. You now belong to me, young slave. In return for your complete obedience, I will spare your world and those in it. Understood?"

TK nodded, looking away, ashamed.

Isan made a sound of disapproval and used his tail to force TK to look at him again. "You will answer me when I ask you something. And from now on, you will refer to me as 'master', do you understand?" he gazed at TK fiercely.

"Yes…master."

"Good. We will begin your training at first light. I believe that, with time and proper training, you will make an excellent tool, don't you agree?" he looked expectantly at the boy.

"Yes, master," he murmured, hating himself for it.

A smug look came over Isan's face. He hadn't known the boy for ten minutes, and he already knew his greatest weakness. It could prove to be very valuable knowledge. He inwardly smirked as he shut the door, locking his new slave in. Things were looking much better for his plans of total world domination this time around.

/o-o/

"Wh-where am I?" Kari mumbled to herself as she awoke.

"It's about time you woke up," a voice snapped.

Kari looked up quickly. "Shaukaka." She tried to move, but her wrists were bound.

"Yes, it's I," Shaukaka sneered. "Tell me, are all humans as weak as you? Or are you just special?"

"What?" Kari asked, brows furrowed.

"You took nearly five hours to recover from the sleeping spell. It only took your friend three hours."

"TK? TK's here? Where?" she asked, looking around as best as she could.

"Not here," Shaukaka answered absently. "He's probably busy with his new master. He gave himself up as a slave, you know. You'd be smart to do the same."

"What? TK wouldn't just give up. I don't believe you," Kari replied, not bothering to hide the edge in her voice.

"Oh, but he _did _give up. It seems that he believed his fate was unimportant compared to that of his family and friends."

"What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"Lord Isan gave him a choice. He could become a slave, or his family and friends would suffer. Like a true idiot he chose to save others rather than himself."

"He's not an idiot!" Kari spat. "He's a very caring and selfless person. Not that you'd know anything about that."

Shaukaka shrugged, looking uninterested. "Think what you want. But I'm not here to debate with you. I'm here to give you the same proposition that my Lord Isan gave to your friend. Choose now."

Kari looked up. Was this…_thing _serious?

"Yes, quite serious. And I'm not a _thing_."

Kari jumped, a little started. How had she known?

"Read your mind, darling. A little trick I picked up. Now, I have no time for games. Choose now or I will choose for you. And I will choose to kill those close to you."

Kari shook her head. "No, I won't let you hurt them. You…you can have me," she hesitated on the word 'have.' After all, she was no object to be given.

Shaukaka smiled somewhat evilly. "Good, hold still."

Kari was about to ask why when Shaukaka swept down and cut the ropes on her wrists. She was forced to sit up and Shaukaka held her left wrist firmly. She looked curiously as a metal bracelet was slid on her wrist. It had a light blue jewel on it.

Shaukaka looked into her eyes with a glint in her own. Kari found herself hypnotized by those hollow eyes. She tensed as she felt the bracelet become snug against her skin.

"Relax," Shaukaka hissed.

Kari looked down in surprise as the gem began to glow. Then, slowly, it began to heat. She tried to twist her wrist out of Shaukaka's clawed hand as it began to get uncomfortably hot.

"I said relax!" Shaukaka snapped.

Kari didn't listen. All she cared about was the searing pain that was surrounding her wrist. Then it engulfed her arm. And finally her entire body was overcome. She cried out and squirmed as her body felt like it was literally on fire. She tried to pry the bracelet off.

Shaukaka scowled and pinned her on her back so that she could barely move. For the next few minutes Kari squirmed and let tears roll down her cheeks as the pain continued. Then suddenly, it died down. Shaukaka released her and she lay, panting slightly.

Now, for the finishing touch. With that thought she pulled out a collar exactly like the one Isan had given TK. She fastened it around the girl's neck.

"What's this?" Kari asked quietly.

"A slave collar," was the simple reply. "So I can keep a leash on you during your training." She gave Kari a malicious toothed smile.

"Training?"

"My Lord Isan has instructed me to coax out your power's full potential, just as he will do for Takeru. We will start tomorrow. Oh, and from now on you will refer to me as 'mistress' and nothing else. You have not the privilege to use my name. Understand?"

Kari nodded.

Skaukaka let out a displeased growl.

Kari sighed. "Yes, mistress."

"Good girl," Shaukaka praised condescendingly. She turned to leave.

"Um..mistress?" Kari called out quietly.

"What?" Shaukaka snapped.

"This bracelet, what is it? Why did it hurt?"

"It belonged to EvenBreeze, who, as I already told you, is your true mother. It is her blood that runs through your veins at any rate, not that Earth woman's blood," she spat the word 'Earth'. "Because it was bonded to her, it will only accept those of her blood. Anyone else who tries to wear it will be killed. Because you are EvenBreeze's kin, it bonded to you. As for why it was painful, that's just how it is. I should warn you, try to remove it, and you will die."

'_Die?'_ Kari wondered. _'Just what kind of bracelet is this?'_

"Enough questions," Shaukaka said, irritated. "You'd best get some sleep, pet, I'll begin your training at dawn and I can assure you, you won't like it one bit."

Kari sighed and sat in the dark after her 'mistress' left. It seemed that, for the time being, she could do nothing but obey the evil woman. It was going to be a _long_ while.

/o-o/

Some time the next morning, TK wasn't sure exactly when, Isan came back. The great creature slithered into the room, chain in hand. TK wondered what it was for. He didn't have to wonder for long.

Isan leaned down and locked the chain onto the ring on the front of TK's collar. Holding the other end, Isan turned back towards the door.

"Come pet," he ordered, jerking the chain slightly.

'_How dare he call me 'pet' and put me on a _leash_!' _TK fumed as he followed his 'master' down the hall. The windows showed that it was still dark, so TK figured it was probably a little before dawn.

He followed Isan closely, trying to memorize ways out, incase he ever got the chance to escape without risking his family and friends. Speaking of friends, was Kari here too? He thought he had heard one of the night guards say something about another girl from a strange world, but he hadn't seen her yet. Maybe he could ask Isan. He looked at the large creature. Maybe not.

Isan turned his head. "What is it?" he asked, irritated.

"I didn't say anything. Master," TK replied, just barely remembering to add the 'master.'

"You wanted to ask me something, what is it? Hurry before I lose my patience."

"I-I was just wondering…if my friend…Kari, was here too?"

"Yes, the other Guardian is here as well. My Queen will train her. Now, you will ask me no more questions, understand? I graciously allowed you to this time, but I won't be so lenient the next time."

"Yes master," TK mumbled, as they continued their walk down the hall.

A few minutes later, Isan stopped in front of a door. He opened it and pulled TK inside. TK looked around curiously.

The room had a cathedral ceiling, and was made completely of pine wood. There was a small room off to the side through a door. TK saw that there were a few boxes inside.

The main room had a long thin table to one side which had many liquids and powders on it. There was a raised stone platform in the center of the room. Light shone onto the platform from a hole in the ceiling. There were a few more chests along the left wall, all locked. Other than that, the room was pretty plain.

Isan turned to TK and removed the chain. "It's time to awaken your other power," he said. "But first, we must prepare you."

TK watched him go into the small room, and wondered what he meant. Isan rummaged through one of the trunks for a few seconds. Then he slithered back to TK.

He handed TK a pile of clothes. "Go into that room. Discard your old clothes and put these on. Wear nothing that isn't here. _Nothing_. Understand?"

"Yes master," TK replied, heading for the room. He closed the door a little, but not much because Isan wouldn't allow it.

He spread out the clothes and looked at them. There were black boxers, a black sleeveless shirt with a black sleeveless vest to go over it, black pants with a black belt, and black fingerless gloves. He removed all of his own clothes and quickly put these new ones on. Everything fit tightly, almost uncomfortably so. He walked back out to Isan, barefoot.

"Good," Isan said shortly, refastening the chain to TK's collar. "Now, come." He roughly yanked the chain.

TK followed warily, not sure about what was going on. He was led up onto the stone platform. He saw that there was a metal ring near the middle. Isan led him towards it and forced him down on his knees. The free end of the chain was fastened to the ring.

TK got increasingly nervous as Isan slithered out of his sight. The creature returned shortly with an odd looking rope. It was thick and rough, like regular rope, but it was bright unnatural silver. Isan slithered over with lightning speed and pinned TK's hands behind his back. They were tied tightly together from elbow to wrist.

TK was really scared now. Isan was free to do what he wanted to the boy, and he couldn't do anything to protect himself. Isan went over to the table that was covered with liquids and powders. TK watched fearfully as the creature mixed some of the liquids together in a small cup. Then, a few powders were dissolved in the cup too causing a little smoke to rise.

Isan turned after a few minutes and slithered towards TK, cup in hand. TK tried to shrink away, but the chain prevented him from moving very far.

Isan shook his head in rebuke and backhanded the boy. "Don't try to get away from your master. You do whatever I wish. And you do it with complete obedience. Now, drink this," he ordered, holding the cup to TK's lips.

TK didn't drink, or even open his mouth. He was too scared to move. Who knew what was in that drink? Whatever it was, he knew it wouldn't be anything good.

Isan growled. He reached his other hand down and grabbed TK's chin, forcefully opening the boy's mouth.

"I said drink!" he growled, pushing TK's head back and pouring the concoction into his mouth.

TK choked on the sudden amount of liquid, and tried to pull away. Isan just tightened his hold on the boy's chin however. The taste of the liquid made TK gag. It was so bitter and thick. But, he had no choice except to swallow it. Isan made it clear that he wasn't going to let TK have a breath of air until the drink was gone.

About fifteen seconds of gagging and choking later, TK had finished whatever mixture Isan had made. Isan released TK, and the boy gasped in some air. He looked up at Isan, who didn't look happy.

"You shouldn't have disobeyed," Isan warned, "Now I might not be in the mood to dull the pain of this process. But, do not be mad at _me _when you are writhing in torment, it is your own fault."

TK resisted the urge to tell Isan off. From what the creature had said, he was already going to be in a lot of pain, there was no point in making it worse.

Isan slithered behind TK, resting comfortably on his tail about a head and a half taller than the bound boy. He placed his clawed fingertips on the boy's temples and began to move them in a circular motion.

TK froze, what the hell was going on? He did _not _like this one bit! It was just too weird. Oh, how he wanted to go home. He'd give anything to be eating breakfast with Matt and his dad right now, like he was supposed to be.

He was pulled out of his homesick thoughts as Isan began chanting softly.

"_Atrum creatura, audio mei advoco_." (Dark creature, hear my call.)

Isan rubbed TK's temples more vigorously. as he continued.

"_Exito hic parvulus' penitus auctoritas."_ (Wake this child's inner powers.)

TK tried to pull away from Isan's hold. Isan's claws were now cutting into his skin.

"_Addo sicco hic puellus' fidelis potentia."_ (Bring out this boy's true potential.)

Deeper and deeper the claws cut. Isan didn't seem to notice TK's small whimpers of discomfort.

"_Itaque qui infit facere appono caligo!"_ (So that he can serve the darkness!)

As Isan's voice rose with this last statement, the white light that had been shining on the platform turned black. However, the rest of the room was still lit.

TK got a strange feeling throughout his body. It was difficult to explain. It was like an energy rising from deep inside him. It kept getting more and more powerful. Too powerful.

TK squirmed and cried out as the energy surge reached its peak, engulfing his entire body. It was painful, to say the least. It was similar to when the stone had bonded with him, only about five times worse.

He struggled against the ropes binding his arms, but only succeeded in making them cut deep into his flesh. He tried desperately to get away, but both the chain and Isan kept him from getting too far. He screamed again as the energy hit another peak.

He squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that he would find that this was just a horrible dream. But, it continued. Suddenly, a strange jolt ran through him. He forced his eyes open and saw, unbelievingly, that he was _glowing_. A dark purple/black aura surrounded him.

It flashed and glowed brighter, sending another jolt of pain through his body. But this one was less intense than the one before. Over the next few minutes the aura grew, but the pain decreased. Then, without warning, the aura flashed one last time before being absorbed back into TK.

TK sat, panting slightly, as he tried to make some sense of what had happened. He couldn't think of any explanation.

Behind him, Isan chuckled darkly. "Success! Your power has been awoken. Now, let your training begin!"

TK grimaced as he was untied and led, via chain, towards a courtyard. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like this 'training' any more than he had liked this ritual.

/o-o/

"Concentrate!" Isan snapped, smacking the boy hard. "How do you expect your powers to grow if you don't concentrate fully?"

TK ignored his throbbing cheek and looked up at the creature. "I-I'm sorry master, I'm trying. Really, I am." He bowed his head in apology.

"Try harder," Isan growled.

TK nodded and silently tried to focus. It had been like this for the three weeks since his 'other power' had been awoken.. Isan would wake him before dawn and begin to work with him. The day started with exercise; running and lifting mostly. Then he would be trained in advanced hand-to-hand combat. His spar partner was always a Garian, which made it that much harder.

Garian's were forest people; quick, agile, and strong. A fighter's worst nightmare. Unless, of course, they were on your side. Most Garian's were dark haired and dark eyed with olive skin. This helped them camouflage with the trees. Very difficult opponents.

After combat training he would spend the rest of the day learning to control his hereditary powers. He still didn't understand them, and was continually amazed at what he could do.

With Isan's help, he learned to fine tune his ability to sense evil until he was able to sense anything with dark thoughts for nearly a mile around. It was like a heat-sensing radar inside his head, only it tracked Darkness instead of heat. Judging by how much Darkness was sensed, he could tell what a creature was. If he concentrated enough, he could tell it's exact position, including which way it was facing. He also learned to control the 'awoken powers' that the damned ritual had brought forth.

That meant that he could create and destroy pure darkness. A very powerful thing, pure darkness. More potent than the latest laser gun and much more deadly. However, just as it was dangerous to others, it was dangerous to TK.

Using it required him to tap into his life force energies. Using too much could prove fatal. He had to be completely aware of his limit. But, Isan was pushing his limit every day. TK would become physically exhausted from doing as much as he believed he safely could, and Isan would force him to do more until he collapsed. The monster seemed to have no remorse for the pain it caused the boy.

But, TK had to grudgingly admit, he _was_ getting much stronger every time he was trained. While Isan's methods were cruel and oftentimes abusive, they got the job done.

He closed his eyes to find his center. Usually, using his powers didn't require this much concentration, but he was trying to perfect a new technique today. How to control the balls of pure dark energy once formed. So far, he could aim them at something, but couldn't control exactly where they hit, when they hit, or how hard they hit.

Tapping into his energy, he formed a perfect black sphere above his right palm. The energy tried to escape and pull away, but he mentally tightened his hold and wouldn't let it. He waited for the word from Isan.

"Try it again. Now."

TK nodded and released the energy, aiming it towards a clay pot in the garden that Isan had set up as a target. As it drew closer, TK tried to retain his mental hold on it. As he tried harder, the stone on his arm began to glow dimly.

When the energy was within a foot or so of the pot, TK tried to force it to change its course. The stone glowed slightly brighter, and it worked. The ball of energy veered to the right, missing the pot by inches.

"Good! Good!" Isan said excitedly. "Now, maneuver it around the course."

TK didn't take his eyes from the energy ball, but nodded slightly. Having tried this so many times, he knew where all the obstacles were. With little difficulty he wove the energy ball around each one in turn.

"Now, call it back to you."

TK obeyed and beckoned it towards him. It came with alarming speed, but he easily caught it in his left hand. Closing his hand, he absorbed the power again.

"Very good pet," Isan said, patting the boy on the head with a large clawed hand. TK inwardly cringed. He _hated _being treated like an animal for Isan's entertainment. "Now, do that ten more times, and I will let you rest early tonight."

TK's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Isan hadn't given him a break _ever _in the three weeks that he had been prisoner. Not that he was complaining now. He was exhausted. It took him only five minutes to complete the ten trials, each one slightly better and more controlled than the last.

After the tenth trial, Isan unlocked TK's 'leash' from the pole next to him. He had it put on the boy every time he left his cell as both a means of keeping him in line, and humiliating him. It worked well on both accounts.

Isan whistled and a small muscular pixie-type creature appeared. Isan handed the leash to it.

"Take him back to his cell and let him 'recharge'. I have other things to attend to."

"Yes master," the pixie replied, gripping the chain.

It glared at the boy as it flew ahead, leading him back. Ever since this new 'toy' had come along, the master paid him no mind. Before, the pixie had always been the master's favorite. Now he was nothing more than an errand boy. Jerking the chain roughly, the pixie flew faster.

TK stumbled a bit when the chain was jerked and glared at the offending pixie. That annoying creature had hated him since he first saw it. The feeling had quickly become mutual. He had to quicken his pace as the creature flew faster. They walked through the familiar corridors and soon were in front of TK's room.

The pixie opened the door and forced him inside. It turned to leave when TK stopped it.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked sarcastically.

The pixie turned and glared. He saw TK pointing to the chain still attached to his collar.

The pixie sneered. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't just leave it?"

"Because," TK answered matter-of-factly, "if you do the master will be even madder at you. You're already out of his favor, do you really want to make it worse?"

The pixie growled as he unfastened the chain. "I thought pets were supposed to be seen and not heard."

TK growled right back. "_I'm no pet!"_ he ground out.

The pixie smirked, knowing he had hit a soft spot. "Could have fooled me," he replied tartly as he left, locking the door behind him.

TK silently swore at the damn little creature. Just because he was treated like a pet didn't mean he _was_ one. He only obeyed Isan to protect his family. He closed his eyes as he settled himself in the darkest corner of the room.

He relaxed a bit as the stone glowed and filled his body with a pleasant feeling. It was pure darkness, but of the good variety. It refreshed him, replenished his health. It made it so he only needed to eat about twice a month or so. Useful, should lack of food ever be a problem. The only requirement the stone needed to perform this was shadow. Which, luckily, was never in short supply. It was one of the more practical things Isan had taught him.

He sighed. Forget the stupid pixie, he could always get back at him later. Right now, he was just going to enjoy his rest.

/o-o/

Isan smirked slightly as he watched his pet being led away by the pixie. The boy was becoming more obedient every day. Stronger too. It wouldn't be long before he could be used to take over Hiata. But, they didn't need just him. They needed his friend, and the other two Guardians as well. And they all needed to be broken.

However, his plan was still moving along with very few bumps in the road. Just a few days ago, the other two Guardians had been captured and brought here. They were being held in the basement dungeon until their spirits were broken and they became submissive to Isan's wishes. That only left the problem of the other Guardian. Hikari.

Isan slithered slowly to the other side of the fortress. He had made sure that Takeru and Hikari had not seen or come in contact with each other since they had been brought here. They might get an idea to rebel if they were together. His sensitive ears perked as he heard his Lady Shaukaka talking to the human girl.

"No, no girl! You are not focusing! An uncontrolled gust like that will only inconvenience your enemies, it won't even scratch them at all!"

"I'm _trying!_"

He heard a slap. "Don't talk back! Now, do it again! And do try to get it right, if it isn't too much trouble," Shaukaka said sarcastically.

Kari bit her tongue to keep from retorting. Oh, how she hated Shaukaka! Or, should she say, her _mistress_? It was so degrading to be treated like a possession. But, that's all she was to Shaukaka. A possession.

She concentrated on the target, a disk hanging from the branch of a tree. Calling upon the energy inside of her, she created a whirling mass of solid visible wind in the palm of her hand. Concentrating, she tried to aim it at the disk. Pretending the disk was Shaukaka's head seemed to work wonders on her aim.

She let the wind burst go, this time hitting the target dead on.

"About time you got it right," Shaukaka hmphed.

Kari grumbled something under her breath only to receive a hard slap from Shaukaka. She was sure she was going to get verbally punished too, and was surprised when she wasn't. She looked up and saw Shaukaka looking across the yard.

Curious, she looked too. Her eyes widened a little as she saw Isan. Isan slithered over quickly.

"My Lady," he greeted Shaukaka, "Let a pixie put your pet away, we have more pressing things to attend to."

Shaukaka nodded and summoned a pixie. Kari didn't mind being led away. The way Isan and Shaukaka were looking at each other made her want to gag. How could two creatures so horrible be capable of _love _of all things?

She saw Shaukaka glare at her and she mentally smacked herself. How could she have forgotten that Shaukaka could read minds? She was going to be punished later, that was for sure. She sighed as the pixie led her back into the large building.

Once Kari was gone, Isan turned to Shaukaka again. "How is her progress? Will we be able to use her come Autumn?"

Shaukaka frowned. "It is…hard to say. She is not trying, I think. I awoke her powers, the ability to tell a creature's weaknesses, not long after you awoke the boy's, but she seems to not have any intention of developing them. As for her wind powers that evolved on their own, she apparently finds it hard to control them."

Isan frowned too. "Will she be of _any _use to us?"

"Only if we can…motivate her. But, what of the boy? His progress?"

Isan smiled a crude smile. "He enjoys the power, he _is_ half demon after all. He has developed his ability to sense evil more than I thought he would, and he is becoming very good at controlling his dark energy. Given a bit more time, he might actually become a threat. But I will destroy him after his usefulness is over to ensure that that doesn't happen."

"We will have to destroy all of them," Shaukaka mused. "Almost a pity. Spending so much time on them, only to kill them."

Isan shrugged. "It must be done. If we don-"

He was cut off by a pixie flying up quickly. It dropped to its knees, head down, begging for forgiveness in advance.

"What is it?" Isan snapped, annoyed.

"Th-the other G-Guardians have esc-escaped my m-m-master," it stuttered.

"WHAT!" both Isan and Shaukaka roared.

"You insolent bafoon!" Isan yelled, hitting the pixie and sending it flying. "Find them now or I'll have your head on a silver platter! Well, what are you waiting for!"

The pixie tripped over itself trying to get up and get away as quickly as possible. It was well aware that the only way it would survive was to find the two Guardians who had escaped. It flew through the corridors searching. It really didn't want to die that day. And certainly not by Lord Isan's hands. It shuddered at the thought.

/o-o/

TK tilted his head curiously as he heard a clatter in the hall. He stood up and walked closer to the door. Nothing eventful ever happened here. Might as well check it out, he could listen through the door.

He got within three feet of the door when it flew open, barely missing his face. He jumped back, startled. He saw a figure come in, but he couldn't see details. It turned to him.

"Please," a female voice panted out. "You…have to…help me. I…can't get…caught again…please…"

TK quickly put two and two together. This girl must be an escaped prisoner. If he helped her, he would be punished immensly. But if he didn't, he'd never be able to live with himself.

Making up his mind, he stepped forward and pushed her behind the door. "Stay there and be quiet," he hissed. He saw the girl nod. He quickly closed the door again. If they were lucky, no one would look in here. And if someone did, the girl would be hidden.

He went back to the opposite wall and sat down, closing his eyes, pretending like nothing had happened. Only seconds later, the door opened again. It was that hated pixie. TK stood up slowly, feigning confusion. The pixie turned on the lights and scanned the room.

Thinking fast, TK shielded his eyes. "You stupid pixie!" he yelled. "Turn off that light! You know I can't stand it!" It wasn't a complete lie. He _was_ more sensitive to light because his power was over Darkness, but it wasn't enough to cause him pain or anything.

The pixie scowled down at him. "Shut up. I'm looking for a girl and a boy who got out. I'll turn out the light if you tell me where they are."

"Like I would know," TK retorted. "In case you haven't figured it out, I've been locked in this room for the past half hour. And besides, if someone had come in here, don't you think I'd be talking to them instead of wasting my time with you?"

The pixie growled. "Stupid human." It scanned the room again before turning off the light and leaving.

TK sighed in relief before looking over to where the girl was. He saw that she was still standing there, not moving.

"It's safe," he told her quietly. "You can come out now."

The figure shuffled a bit and suddenly a ball of light appeared. TK saw that the girl was holding it in her palm. She walked out calmly, looking him over.

"Thank you, whoever you are. I owe you my life. I am Katya, the Light Mage."

A/N: The action and adventure will pick up from here...hopefully


	4. Glossary

A/N: I changed the description of Vorago just a little.

AKIO: A young 5-year-oldish boy who TK and Katya rescue from a drunken man. Akio has black hair and green eyes and does not really remember his past. Not too much else can be said without giving away a major plot detail.

ALITEA: A girl TK's age who lives in Castle Shuuko. Not much else can be said about her just yet.

ANGEL OF DEATH: The beautiful Guardian of the portal of Death that connects the Underworld to the afterlife. She has a pale complexion, and white hair and eyes. She is a very kind person.

THE AXES: The half of the Hiata population fighting to allow evil and darkness to control the world. They support the Shadowlore Lord Isan in his quest for ultimate domination. Most of this army is Shadowlore, with about 3 dozen mages, 15 dozen humans, and about 8 dozen Elementals.

BLACKWOLF: TK's 'father' He cloned TK during his final moments after he and the other Guardians destroyed the Chaos Stone. His name, like the other's names, has been forgotten, but his legendary powers live on through his 'son'. His true form was that of a Fallen Angel, as was WhiteLioness'. He was 19 when he died.

CAELON: A species of the Forgotten that resemble angels. They all have white wings, pale skin, and either brown eyes with brown hair or red eyes with red hair. Only 8 adult Caelon remain: Galeo, Lejio, Lexia, Carlion, Tahia, Diea, Pumio, and Yushio. A couple dozen Caelon children exist, but many will not make it to adulthood unless Isan is stopped. The Caelon live in a heavenly type forest home that they call Paradise, and have no physical form elsewhere. They are also known as the Watchful Angels.

CHAOS STONE: A stone that takes just over 12 years to develop and has the power to enslave and/or wipe out an entire civilization. It is forged of the most evil Black Magic and is nearly impossible to destroy without great sacrifices.

CURRENCY: The currency of Hiata is similar to the currency of Earth. Bronze coins are of the lowest value, and it takes 5 to buy a loaf of bread. Silver coins are worth 10 bronze coins, and Gold coins are worth 2 silver coins, or 20 bronze coins.

DARK CREATURE RITUAL: A ritual used to draw out a Mage's physical power. A Mage must be given a specially prepared potion known to very few. After that, a chant must be repeated while the Mage's temples are massaged. This will bring out the Pure Demon blood within them, and with it, their inner power. The more Pure Demon blood within a Mage, the more painful this ritual will be. A word of caution though: Because Pure Demon magic is so powerful, it may overwhelm and kill the Mage. It is recommended to have a Shadow Stone on the Mage before attempting this.

EARTH STONE: This is a magical stone used to control an Elemental's powers. It is nearly identical to the Shadow Stone. Read Shadow Stone summary for complete information.

ELEMENTALS: Elementals deal with natural magic; they have control of things relating to nature. Examples are Wind, Fire, Water, Animal Language/Control, etc. As with Mages, Elementals have a mental and a physical power. The physical develops on its own while the mental must be called out in the Purification of Mind Ritual. Using their powers does not require a great energy sacrifice by the Elementals, so they are less trained in the skills of a brute warrior. This does not mean they are any less usefull in battle, though. Oftentimes, Elementals have a Spirit Animal or two to help protect them. Elementals are becoming a more common occurance every generation.

EVENBREEZE: Kari's 'mother'. As she lay dying, she created Kari and sent her to Carla Kamiya's womb. Her true form is a Wind Fairy, able to turn into the very wind that she controlled. None can remember her true name. She was 19 when she died.

FORGOTTEN: Common name for Mages, Elementals, and Shadowlores.

FURY: Fury is a fire phoenix. He is Hiroki's Spirit Animal, and is very protective. He will stop at nothing to protect the Fire Elemental.

GARIANS: Forest creatures that are similar to Elves. They have lean olive skinned bodies with dark hair and eyes. They have great speed and are excellent fighters.

HIATA: A war ravaged land similar to Earth. Most of the population is human, but some are either 'fairy tale' or Forgotten. Hiata's population has been divided into two sections, the Swords and the Axes. The Swords are primarily the 'good guys' while the Axes are their enemies.

HIKARI KAMIYA, WIND ELEMENTAL: Kari is a Wind Elemental, able to control wind. Her mental power is the ability to know a creature's weakness. Her true mother was nicknamed EvenBreeze, and fought alongside BlackWolf. She died in the same battle that he did, and used the same tactic to create a "copy" of herself. Her copy found a womb within Carla Kamiya. As with TK's birth, no one suspected a thing about Kari. They had no reason to. When she turned 12, only days before TK did, her powers began flaring up as well.

HIROKI MISOU, FIRE ELEMENTAL: Hiroki is a Fire Elemental, able to control fire. His mental ability is being able to know a creature's greatest fear. Like Katya, he doesn't know his parents. He was raised by a kindly old couple in a small town. When he found that he was an Elemental he left his surrogate family in search of someone to help him develop his powers. Soon after he was captured by Lord Isan and Shaukaka performed the Purification of Mind Ritual on him.

JACKALS: Large bloodthirsty creatures that are like a mix between humans and jackals. They appear like vey large jackals, about 6 feet tall, and they move on two feet. They are very fast and deadly and generally move in packs.

KARINA: Karina is a Fate Mage who appears to want to help the Guardians. She seems to know a lot about them, but she never says how she learns. She doesn't usually openly display her physical power of being able to move things by looking at them, but she often uses her ability to tug on strands of fate to aid or hurt whoever she wants. However, TK already doesn't trust her. Maybe none of them should.

KATYA SHOIMI, LIGHT MAGE: Katya is a Light Mage, able to control Pure Light Energy. Her mental power is seeing the many futures. She doesn't know her parents, she was raised by the Kols, a village of humans and a handful of Mages. Because her heratige was unknown, it was a great surprise when she developed powers at the age of 12. Luckily the other Mages were able to help her. They forged a shadow stone and performed the Dark Creature Ritual. Judging by the pain, they estimated that she was ½ Pure Demon, an almost unheard of amount. She was about to be trained by the Mages in the Kol village when she was captured by Lord Isan who planned to train her for his own evil purposes.

KIOSHEN: An evil shapeshifting being that constantly craves power. Nothing is below it when it comes to obtaining what it desires. It's true form is debatable, but it is most commonly seen as a pale boy with glowing red pupils amidst purely black eyes and black stringy hair. It has no real 'powers' but knows many spells and potions.

LIFE FORCE CRYSTAL: A specially made crystal that almost no one possesses. It fuses with its bearer's heart and keeps him/her alive. It is always given to the bearer right before he/she passes through the Portal of Death, and the bearer is given a choice of whether or not he wants to use it. If they choose to use it, they will be given their life back, but will not be cured or healed at all. They must endure physical torture in return for life. Also, the bearer is then tied to the Portal of Death and must do whatever it asks.

LORD ISAN: An evil Shadowlore that is trying to take over Hiata. His upper half is that of a man, his lower half is a spiked serpent tail. He has great black bat-like wings, clawed hands, red eyes, and matted black hair. He, like his mistress Shaukaka, can read minds to an extent.

MAGES: These people have "unnatural" magic, meaning they have control over things not directly connected to nature. Examples are Light, Dark, Time, Fate, etc. Mages, like Elementals, have two powers, one mental, one physical. The mental develops on its own, while the physical must be drawn out in the Dark Creature Ritual. Mages must give a great deal of energy to use their powers effectively, so they must also learn to fight the old-fashioned way in order to survive a drawn out battle. More powerful Mages may also control loyal packs of Shadow Beasts. Because they are part Pure Demon, a long extinct species, Mages are becoming increasingly rare.

MIYO: A 5-year-oldish girl that Kari and Hiroki save from a pack of Jackals. She has black hair and green eyes and doesn't know much about her past. Not much else can be said without giving away a major plot detail.

MOSQUES: Creatures that are part insect/part human. They have bug eyes and wings, claws, but an otherwise humanly appearance. They are blood thirsty creatures that crave violence and travel in packs.

NUMBING STONE: A specially developed stone that 'numbs' any magical powers. It affects Mages, Elementals, and Shadowlore equally. Only a handful of these deadly powerful stones exist.

PIXIES: Magical creatures that resemble humans. They are, on average, 4 feet tall. They have translucent wings and a muscular build. Despite their size, they are quite strong. They are also usually arrogant and have bad attitudes in general.

POMARIUS: Latin for _'garden'_. When Hiata was ruled by Elementals and Mages, the Elementals ruled the Northern section and called their fortress Pomarius. As its name suggests, it is a lush walled garden filled with many of the remaining Nymphs and Fairies. Food grows all around, so there is never any shortage and the weather is always excellent. The great being known as Harmony protects the Pomarius, allowing only Elementals inside. No one else may enter unless given permission by a well-known and respected Elemental. Being such closed-minded people, the Elemental's Pomarius does not have any outside influence as the Vorago has with its Alchemy circles.

PORTAL OF DEATH: The gateway that connects the Underworld to the afterlife. It is powerful, but fair. It believes in the 'eye for an eye' policy. If it does something for you, you must do something for it to repay it in full. However, if it likes you, it can be a very powerful ally.

PURE DEMONS: Nearly two millenia ago, Pure Demons walked freely among the humans. Having very attractive forms and charming personalities, the Pure Demons found living very pleasurable. Contradictory to the name, Pure Demons were not all bad, most were actually good. And those that were not didn't cause that much trouble. At least, not in the beginning. At first Pure Demons bred only with Pure Demons, but they soon began mating with humans. These half-blooded children oftentimes retained their Pure Demon 'unnatural' powers. The Pure Demon who parented them would either coax out the powers, or keep them dormant, depending. About a hundred years after cross-breeding began, it was custom to keep a halfling's powers from developing. The evil Pure Demons were outraged by this because they knew their race was dying out. So they began kidnapping the halflings and molding them into powerful, but evil, Mages. Several hundred years later the last of the pure blooded Pure Demons was defeated, and the Pure Demon magic began to die out. But, it still flows dormant in the blood of anyone descended from a Pure Demon, waiting to be called out.

PURIFICATION OF MIND RITUAL: A ritual used to draw out an Elemental's physical power. In this ritual, and Elemental must be given purified water to drink. Then, and chant must be said by both the giver of the ritual and the Elemental. Unlike the Dark Creature Ritual, this is not painful for an Elemental, it only causes slight discomfort. But, don't let the lack of pain deceive you, just like Pure Demon magic, Elemental magic can kill its bearer if not controlled. It is recommended to have an Earth Stone on the Elemental prior to the ceremomy.

RAGE: Rage is TK's formost Shadow Beast as he is the Alpha Male in the pack. He has blood red eyes and his shoulder is 4 inches taller than TK. The rest of his pack consists of:

Tempest- Alpha female, blue eyes

Storm- female, yellow eyes

Midnight-female, orange eyes

Hysteria-female, purple eyes

Frenzy- female, light pink eyes

Apocalypse- male, black eyes

Poison- male, green eyes

Dusk-male, dark gray eyes

Revenge-male, light red eyes

REDCOYOTE: Tejuku's father and BlackWolf's nearly identical twin brother. He was the Hell's Fire Mage, who was his brother's bitter enemy since they were 12. He faced BlackWolf in the final battle, but was killed. Before he died, though, he ceated a clone to carry on his fued with BlackWolf. That clone was Tejuku.

REVEREND KELMIO: A man who lives with Alitea. He seems to know a lot about the Gaurdians, and knew BlackWolf and WhiteLioness personally. More will be revealed later.

SCORCHINGFLAME: Hiroki's 'father'. No one knows his true name. As the other Gaurdians did, he too created a clone of himself with his final breaths and sent it to the womb of an unknown woman in Hiata. His true form was a Fire Druid and, like other Elementals, his true form allowed him to turn into the very thing that he controlled. He too was 19 when he died.

SHADOW BEASTS: Ancient creatures born from the released powers of deceased Pure Demons. However, they do not choose who to serve based on who died to give them life. Often times, they choose no one for generations. They sit in the shadows, watching and waiting for what they deem a 'worthy' master. Once a being is chosen, they will heed his/her every order until that person dies. While immortal otherwise, Shadow Beasts can be killed by powerful Mages. They often travel and serve as packs.

SHADOWLORES: These demonic beasts are the closest relatives to the Pure Demons. Corrupted, they are trying to take over Hiata. Their unearthly forms impose fear on the residents of Hiata and help them conquer more land each year. Shadowlores generally have only one power, either mental or physical, but there is no limitation on it other than that.

SHADOW STONE: A magical stone used to control a Mage's power. Usually it is passed down through a blood line, but can be forged. However, forged Shadow Stones are often unstable. Once a Shadow Stone is placed on a Mage, it will choose to either kill the Mage, or bind to him/her. If it chooses to bond with the Mage, the metal holding it will tighten around the Mage's skin before the actual bonding begins. The bonding consists of the Stone sending it's magic through the Mage's entire body. Because the magic of the Shadow Stone is so potent, this is always very painful. Afterwards, the Stone will be connected directly to the Mage's life energy, and removing it would be deadly. The purpose of the Shadow Stone is to control a Mage's ability to control his/her magic. Without a Shadow Stone, the Mage would be overwhelmed by power and would die of the pain within a few minutes.

SHAUKAKA: Another Shadowlore. She is Lord Isan's mistress. Her body is that of a human woman's, with the exception of great bat-like wings and clawed hands. She has gray skin, grey hair, and yellow eyes. She, like Lord Isan, can read minds.

SPIRIT ANIMALS: These creatures are similar to Shadow Beasts in how they are created and who they serve. Dead Elementals create them, and they will only serve other Elementals. Also, Elementals are the only beings that can kill them. However, unlike Shadow Beasts, Spirit Animals are generally loners. Making them less usefull in battle, but usefull nonetheless.

STAR: Star is the head lioness in Katya's pack of Shadow Beasts. She is loyal and protective, and has a temper worth fearing. She has off-white pearl colored eyes. She and the rest of the lionesses are just slightly smaller than Takeru's wolves. The rest of the pack is:

Mercy-Blue eyed Patience-Oranged eyed Dawn-Yellow eyed Serenity-Green eyed Purity-Gray eyed Bliss-Purple eyed Devotion-Pink/red eyed Miracle-Red eyed 

THE SWORDS: The half of the Hiata population fighting for peace and freedom in the world. They wish for the good Prince Larin to assume the throne, as was his destiny. This unit is made mostly of humans, with a few dozen Elementals and a handful of Mages assisting from the shadows.

TAKERU TAKAISHI, SHADOW MAGE: TK is a Shadow Mage, meaning he can control Pure Dark Energy. His mental power is being able to sense evil power. His true father, nicknamed BlackWolf by nearly everyone, was ½ Pure Demon. As BlackWolf died during a battle against Lord Isan, he gathered the last of his energy to create a "copy" of himself, also ½ Pure Demon. This copy looked somewhat like himself, but had the potential to have so much more power. He sent this copy to Earth in the hopes that it would find a womb to grow in. It found Nancy Takaishi. When the babe was born, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no one suspected anything different. When he turned 12, TK's powers started flaring up. That's where the story begins.

TEJUKU: The clone of RedCoyote, and TK's nearly identical twin brother. He was created to finish his father's fued with BlackWolf by destroying Takeru. He was raised by evil, and is evil through and through. His only purpose is to destroy TK. He is the Hell's Fire Mage, and his mental power is the ability to block the mental powers of others.

TREE FAIRIES: Small girls who care for the forest plants. Usually they have brown/green hair, brown skin, and green eyes. They also have clear wings that flutter when they are excited, curious, or sometimes angry. Many of them have instruments carved from enchanted wood that, when played, can produce magical effects of their own. Tree Fairies are very secretive and very rare.

UNDERWORLD: The place that spirits go after they die, but before they pass on completely. It appears differently to all, and most of the times is frightening. However, the Guardians, especially Takeru, find it to be a rather inviting place. Though, Katya is still a bit unnerved when she goes there.

VORAGO: Latin for _'pit'_. Once upon a time Hiata was co-ruled by the Mages and the Elementals. The Mages controlled the Southern half and their castle was named Vorago. From the outside, it seems to be a barren plain, no plants or any kind of friendly life, only ruins. But once you pass the Gatekeeper's barrier and reach the inside of the castle walls, it is spectacular. The castle itself is made of a dark crystal and rises many stories above the ground, towers ending in jagged peaks. It has all the comforts of home; warm beds, small hot springs, fresh clothes, everything…if you know how to call on it. The few people that lived in Vorago that were not Mages were Alchemists. The Mages revered their teachings and tried to make Vorago the physical form of the "one and only solid law in all the worlds", the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Alchemist circles are carved on all of the walls, about 20 feet apart. By sacrificing a few drops of blood, one can use these circles to create any _simple_ thing they wish, like food.

WATER NYMPHS: Beautiful women that live near certain bodies of water. They have deep blue hair and eyes, and pale blue skin.They enjoy celebrations, their favorite is the Rejunification ritual, in which they relax travelers. Helping others brings them joy. They are, however, very rare, and to see just one is a blessing.

WHISPER: Whisper is a great white falcon who, when sitting upright, is twice as tall as Kari. She is Kari's Spirit Animal and will do anything to protect her charge.

WHITELIONESS: The nickname given to Katya's mother. Her real name has been forgotten over the past years. She cloned Katya from her with her last bit of energy and therefore had Katya's same powers. Her true form, like BlackWolf's was a Fallen Angel. She was 19 when she died in the fight against Isan.


	5. Escape, for now

Disclaimer: Same as always, I don't own Digimon.

TK stared at the girl for a second. She had long black hair in a braid, emerald green eyes, and tanned skin. But, she also had a strange green marking on her face. It was a thin line that curved gracefully from one jaw bone up her cheek, across her forehead, and back down to her other jaw bone. On her cheeks a few branches curled off.

He noticed curiously that, on her right hand, there was a stone similar to his, only white. The metal curled around her wrist, went over the top of her hand, curled around her first and ring fingers, and went back down to her wrist. The stone was centered on the back of her hand. However, the metal didn't seem to hinder her hand movement, as she was flexing it while she stood there.

After looking at her face and wrist, he noticed her clothes. She was dressed in a tight black sleeveless shirt with a high neck. She had a small white cloth armband on the upper part of her left arm, as well as a woven hemp bracelet on her left wrist. She was wearing tight black three-quarter pants with a black belt. She too was barefoot. On a final note, he saw that she wore Isan's collar as well.

"Did you saw you were a…a Light Mage?" TK asked, after what she had said sunk in.

"Yes," she looked at him, confused. "Why? Aren't you a Mage too?"

TK mirrored her look. "Actually, I don't know. You see, I'm not exactly from around here."

"Oh?" she tilted her head. "Then where are you from?"

"Japan. On Earth," he added, seeing her confused look.

Her eyes widened. "Earth? You-you're serious?"

"Of course," TK replied, confused. "Why would I lie?"

"B-But, if you're from Earth, then you must be…"

"Must be who?" TK asked, starting to get weirded out.

"You must be the Shadow Mage," she replied in a breathless whisper. "It was said you would return. But, I didn't think I'd be around to see it. I mean, sure, I prophesied that I would, but sometimes I'm wrong. I just can't believe it. You're really here."

"Umm...I'm not sure who you think I am, but I'm just a normal kid. Well…sorta anyway. I'm no…Shadow Mage."

"But you can control Darkness, can you not?" Katya inquired forcefully.

"Well, yeah, bu-"

"And you can sense evil, can you not?"

TK nodded. How did this girl know all these things?

Katya smiled triumphantly. "Then you are the Shadow Mage. You are one of us four who will defeat Lord Isan and rid Hiata of him forever."

"Woah, woah, back up," TK said, holding up his hands. "I can't go against Isan. If I do, he'll hurt my world and the people in it."

To his surprise, Katya laughed. "No he won't silly. He doesn't have the power to pass into your world. Not anymore."

"What are you talking about? He and his creatures seemed to have no problem before," TK stated bitterly.

"He was using a transport amulet before," Katya stated as though it was common knowledge. "One that only allows _eight _trips. You see, that shadow that was following you, that Breathstealer, took up two trips, going there and coming back. The same goes for Shaukaka and Isan. But, when Isan brought you and Kari back with him, that took up another two trips. Do the math, and that equals eight."

TK stared. "So, he's been using me this whole time, and he can't even back up his threat!"

"Shhh. Not so loud," Katya hissed. "But, yes. Pretty much."

"That-that- ugh! When I get my hands on him I'm gonna-"

"Not so fast," Katya said, stopping his rant. "First we gotta get out of here. Then we can get revenge. Do you know a way out?"

TK thought. Yes, he knew how to get to the outside door. He didn't know if it would be open though. He told Katya as much.

She shrugged. "We have to take that chance. But, we also have to find Hiroki and the Wind Elemental."

"Hiroki and the who?"

"Hiroki, the Flame Elemental, and a girl who is the Wind Elemental."

"A girl? Do you mean Kari?"

Katya shrugged. "I don't know her name. But I prophesied that she would come with the Shadow Mage. So, I suppose it is this…Kari. Oh, I just realized, I don't know your name."

"Oh yeah," TK replied, surprised he had forgotten to tell her. "My name's Takeru, but most people call me TK."

Katya tilted her head. "Takeru," she purred. "I like that better than TK. May I call you that?"

Usually TK hated his real name, but he couldn't bring himself to say no to Katya. "If you want," he replied.

Katya smiled. "Alright…Takeru. Let's get out of here."

"How? The stupid pixie locked the door."

Katya smiled mischievously. "We'll use our…abilities. Aim your Darkness at the lock after my Light surrounds it. Okay?"

TK nodded, he had no idea what they were doing, but what could it hurt? After Katya sent her ball of Light Energy to surround the lock, he formed his own Energy in the palm of his hand. He easily aimed it at the door and released it. As soon as his Darkness touched her Light, a chaotic reaction occurred. The two energies seemed to repel and attract each other at the same time. Mixing to form a grayish mash, the strength increased dramatically. Then, without warning, the energy ball exploded, like a mini bomb.

"Woah," TK said, awed by the damage that the small energy ball had done. He turned to Katya. "How did you kn-"

"Later," she said cutting him off. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into the hall through the hole in the door. "Come on, someone will have heard that. We have to find the other two Guardians and get out of here while we still can. _Then _I'll explain everything."

TK nodded again as he was pulled down the hall by a rather insistent Katya. "Do you know where we're going?"

"No, do you?" she replied simply.

TK sweat dropped. "Isan keeps Kari on the opposite side of this place, I'm pretty sure. He doesn't want us to interact. Maybe we should head there."

"All right," she replied. "Maybe Hiroki has found her already. Let's go." She headed quickly down the hall. She was about to round a corner when TK grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What?" she asked, annoyed.

"Something's in that hall. One of Isan's guards."

"Just one?"

TK concentrated a bit "Yeah, just one. Magically, it's weak. But physically, it's pretty strong."

"Must be a pixie," Katya mused. "Well, we'll just do they same thing to it that we did to the door."

TK stared at her, wide-eyed. "But, won't that--won't that kill it?"

"Of course," Katya replied simply. "That's the whole idea."

TK shook his head. "Count me out," he said firmly. "I won't kill anything. Ever."

Katya sighed. "You will if you want to survive. Look, believe me, I know how you feel. I didn't make my first kill until a few weeks ago, and I didn't want to either. But I realized that I needed to. I realized that if I didn't kill it, it was going to kill me. I'm not sure how Earth works, but this is Hiata. Kill or be killed. Plain and simple."

TK scowled. "How can you talk about killing like it's an everyday, every-one-does-it, normal thing?"

"Because it _is _an everyday, every-one-does-it, normal thing. Stop being so naive, we _have _to kill it. If we don't, then we might not make it out of here. And if we don't make it out of here, then Hiata is doomed."

"What do you mean Hiata is doomed if we don't make it out?" TK asked, confused.

Katya replied softly, not wanting the pixie to realize that they were there. "Legend states that only the Shadow Mage, Light Mage, Wind Elemental, and Fire Elemental have the power to save Hiata from otherwise inevitable doom. We must lead The Sword against Isan and his Axe forces. Our ancestors prevented Isan's plan from being completed 12 years ago, and now it is our time."

"Wait, you're saying that Isan's been working on this world domination plan for over 12 _years_?"

"Yes."

"Then why hasn't it worked yet?"

"Because of the fact that it takes just over 12 years to develop the stone that he will use to create oblivion in Hiata. Then he will rebuild Hiata the way _he _wants it. Completely loyal to him."

"What stone?"

"It's simply called the Chaos Stone. As I said, it can wipe out an entire _world _if he wishes it to. Our ancestors destroyed the last Chaos Stone, but the price they paid was their lives. They have passed their duties to us, we must destroy this new one. Now do you understand why we must kill the pixie and anything else that stands in our way?"

"But…isn't there another way?" TK asked, head still spinning from the story Katya had just told him.

Katya shook her head. "This is war. There is no other way. We must to do what we must to do. Now, are you ready?"

TK thought carefully. If what Katya said was true, then it had to be done. And she seemed so confident of herself when she was telling him. Maybe, there was no other way. Maybe, he had to do this. Whether he wanted to or not. Turning to Katya he nodded slowly.

"Good. Now, our powers are strong separately, but they are the most powerful when used together. So I will surround the pixie with Light and you will hit it with Darkness. Can you tell me where it is exactly?"

"Eleven feet down," TK replied quietly. "He's not facing us."

Katya nodded and formed her Light in her hand. Peering around the corner, she let it go. It zoomed down the hall, zigzagging. Then, when it got behind the pixie, it expanded and surrounded it. The pixie dropped it's staff in surprise.

"What the-"

It didn't have time to finish because of the small explosion. TK looked down the hall sadly. He was a murderer now. But, it had to be done…right? And what Katya had said was true, it would have eventually killed him if he hadn't killed it. But, if what he did was right, then why did he feel so guilty?

He looked up as Katya placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll pass. The guilty feeling, I mean," she told him comfortingly. "You did what you needed to do. What your destiny dictated that you do." She paused. "We need to get moving. Are you prepared to do that again? Perhaps several times more?"

TK sighed and nodded. What did it matter now? He had already killed one being, why not make it a thousand, he thought cynically.

Katya smiled reassuringly and led him down the hall. "Let me know if you sense anything else," she said as they walked.

"Katya?" TK asked quietly, still staying alert.

"Yes?"

"Do you truly believe that we are the ones meant to save Hiata? And if we are, do you believe we can do it?"

"With all my heart," she replied just as softly. "I know we are the ones, and I know we can do it. It is in our blood. "

"Everyone keeps saying that," TK sighed. "'It is in our blood.' What does it mean? I know my parents, and I can tell you that my dad is _not_ BlackWolf. For one thing, he's still alive."

"Karina will explain everything once we escape. Now, concentrate, do you sense anything?"

TK closed his eyes. "Isan and Shaukaka are about sixty yards away, in a room back towards where we left. They aren't moving. There is a Garian about fifteen yards to the right of us moving away and a pixie about eighty-five yards ahead and to the right. He's…pacing. Well, floating back and forth anyway. That's all."

"He must be guarding the Wind Elemental's door. Let's go. Up and to the right, you said?"

TK nodded and took the lead. "This way."

Katya followed closely shifting her vision back and forth, searching for movement. They reached a corner and crouched down. Peeking around the corner, Katya saw a pixie, just as TK said there would be.

'Ready?' she mouthed to him.

He nodded somewhat sadly. She turned back around and surrounded the pixie with Light as TK, milliseconds later, hit the Light with a small ball of Darkness. It quickly exploded.

Katya gave him a smile which he weakly returned. How could she not be bothered by this, he wondered? She strode out and stood by the door that the pixie had been guarding. She surrounded the lock and looked at TK expectantly. He sighed and added the finishing touch to create the explosion.

They were about to walk into the room when two figures walked out. Kari and a boy. The boy smiled at Katya and went over to her excitedly.

"Katya! This is Hikari, she's the Wind Elemental! Now we only need to find the Shadow Mage."

"No we don't Hiroki," she replied calmly.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked, looking confused.

"This is Takeru," she said, indicating him with her hand. "Also known as the Shadow Mage."

Hiroki looked at him, eyes slightly wider. "Yo-you're _the _Shadow Mage?"

TK looked back at him. "That's what I've been told. And I'm guessing you're the…Fire Elemental?"

Hiroki nodded. TK looked him over. It wasn't difficult to figure out what his element was. He was dressed in khaki pants and a fire red tight shirt. A red stone was attached to his left upper arm by a wide solid silver band. Barefoot, like the others, he too had a 'slave collar' on. His spiked red hair made him stand out, as did his blue/green eyes.

TK looked down, slightly surprised, as Kari hugged him. He blushed slightly. While he thought of Kari as no more than a friend, it was still awkward. As he looked down, he noticed, with surprise, her new look.

Surrounding her wrist was a thick bracelet with a light blue stone in the middle. A 'slave collar' adorned her neck. She had a slightly tight, sleeveless, button up blue blouse on, along with knee length skin tight pants. Around her lower half was a blue skirt with a large slit in the front to allow regular movement. She, like the other 3, was barefoot.

'_Geez,_' TK thought. _'Don't evil beings believe in shoes?'_

He carefully detangled himself from Kari. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Majorly freaked out, but okay. What about you?"

"Ditto." He froze.

"What?" Kari asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Isan and Shaukaka," he replied quietly. "They're coming this way."

"What!" Hiroki exclaimed rather loudly. Kari, TK and Katya quickly shushed him.

"Come on," Katya said urgently. "If we hurry, maybe we can avoid them. After all, Takeru knows where they are. Maybe we'll be undetected."

"Yeah," Hiroki said sarcastically. "Because it's not like we have bad luck or anything. I mean, _everyone_ gets captured by sadistic beings nowadays."

"Be quiet Hiroki," Katya and TK said in unison. Kari just rolled her eyes at him. "Let's go."

They quickly walked back the way they had come, sticking close to the shadows. Once they reached the corner, they darted to the nearest window.

"Oh no," Kari exclaimed. "The metal hinges are all rusted, we can't open it!"

"Hurry," TK warned. "They're getting closer."

"Step aside," Hiroki said, quickly pushing everyone out of the way. He called up a flame in his hand.

"What are you-"

Katya was shushed by Hiroki. He concentrated on the fire until it was so hot that it was blue around the edges. Then he brought it up to the metal hinges and began to melt them.

"Faster Hiroki," TK hissed urgently. "They're nearly here."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Hiroki hissed back. "There!" he exclaimed seconds later.

"Good, now move!" TK ordered, Darkness in his hand.

Hiroki quickly obeyed. TK shot small energy balls at the two weakened hinges. They were instantly destroyed. TK and Hiroki began to try to push the window out.

"It's stuck," Hiroki grunted.

"My turn," Kari said. The two boys moved.

With minimal trouble Kari created four balls of wind and shot them simultaneously at the four corners of the window. It creaked for a split second before falling out of the frame and landing with a _thump _outside.

"Move it," TK urged, "They'll be able to see us in less than a minute!"

"Okay, okay," Hiroki said, looking out the space where the window had been. "We're about twenty feet up, but there's some ivy we can climb down."

"Then climb!" Katya said.

Hiroki glared at her for a second before grabbing Kari's hand. "Ladies first."

Kari rolled her eyes, but didn't hesitate. She swung down on the ivy and began the short climb down.

"Katya next," TK insisted, helping her out of the window. She flashed him a smile before disappearing into the twilight too. He turned to Hiroki. "Now you," his tone left no room for argument.

As Hiroki climbed up onto the window frame TK glanced nervously down the hall. Isan and Shaukaka were a mere ten seconds from rounding the corner. As soon as Hiroki was safely out, TK climbed up into the stone windowsill too. Grabbing the ivy with his hands, he gracefully swung himself out of the building.

He saw that Kari had reached the bottom and Katya was near it. Hiroki was about ten feet away, and he himself was about fifteen feet away. He quickly began to climb down the cold, slick ivy. He could sense than Isan and Shaukaka were in the same hallway that they had been in not very long ago. And they were nearing the window.

Hiroki dropped to the ground, followed closely by TK.

"Katya, light please," TK said. Katya complied.

They saw that they were in a barren place, with sharp little pebbles all across the ground. TK jerked his head up as Isan and Shaukaka stopped by the window.

He moved forward and pushed Hiroki ahead. "Move it! They're right by the window!" he hissed.

"Oh damn!" Hiroki cursed. He grabbed Kari's arm and began to run as fast as was possible.

TK grabbed Katya's arm and followed suit. He didn't hear anything from behind him, and didn't sense any movement, so he figured that maybe they had actually gotten away.

Ahead of him, Hiroki cursed again.

"Y'know, it would be _so _much easier if we had shoes," Hiroki growled as the pebbles dug into the skin on the bottom of his feet.

"Maybe the whole point of not giving us shoes was to deter us from running away, ever think of that?" Katya replied smartly, ignoring the cuts on her own feet.

"Oh shut up. Hey, Shadow Mage?"

"What?" TK asked.

"Are they following us?"

"Not that I can tell. But, I can't sense them at all anymore."

"Then I guess we can slow down," Hiroki said, slowing to a walk.

"Do either of you know where we are?" Kari asked.

Hiroki and Katya shook their heads. Suddenly TK froze in place.

"What is it Takeru?" Katya asked, slightly concerned.

"I-I'm not sure. I can sense them, but I can't get a fixed location. They keep…fading or something. But they're getting closer, that I know."

Katya's eyes widened. "Fading? That means-oh shoot! We gotta get outta here!" she grabbed TK's arm and pulled him along.

"What are you talking about?" Kari asked, stumbling as Hiroki pulled her ahead.

"She means," Hiroki replied, panting, "that they're using a transportation spell."

"A transportation spell?" Kari questioned.

"Yeah. They must be using it to search the grounds. If they find us…we're dead meat."

Kari and TK's eyes widened.

TK stiffened. "They're getting closer!"

All four tried to run faster, but they were already pushing their physical limits. Suddenly, a rumbling sounded, like in the hospital. The ground split a little and the four fell on their faces; Mages on one side of the crack, Elementals on the other.

They looked up slowly, not sure what to expect. They saw a dark vortex in front of them, just spinning there.

TK grabbed Katya and began to edge her away, Hiroki did the same to Kari. They only got a few feet when a flash came from inside the vortex. Another flash, and they were faced with two livid Shadowlore.

"You shouldn't have done that," Isan said in a scarily calm voice. "Now you have to suffer the consequences."

He slithered towards the two Mages with exceptional speed as Shaukaka dove towards the two Elementals.

Thinking fast, TK pulled Katya up and to the side. "Run!" he yelled, pulling her along. He saw a forest in the distance and figured that they had a greater chance of surviving if they had someplace to hide. Besides, it would be harder for Isan to move if there were trees.

'_Only a hundred yards,'_ he thought, as they raced there. He saw Hiroki and Kari heading in a different direction, but there wasn't much he could do about that right now. "Come on!" he urged Katya as she stumbled. He saw that Isan was closing fast. He knew they wouldn't reach the trees in time.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. _'Why didn't I think of this sooner?' _he wondered.

"Katya, listen to me. We have to use the combo attack you showed me to at least slow him down. Okay? We need to buy time to get to cover."

Katya nodded, she was breathing too hard to speak.

"Alright, on three. One…two…THREE!"

On 'three' they stopped and turned to face their 'master'. Katya called on as much of her strength as she could and sent the Light towards Isan. However, he was so large that it only surrounded about a quarter of him. TK quickly added his Darkness to the equation. A large explosion followed, smoke clouding their vision.

"Did we….get him?" Katya questioned quietly.

Through the smoke a maniacal laugh sounded.

"I don't think so," TK replied, fear in his voice.

As the smoke cleared, they saw that Isan was laughing, head thrown back, undamaged. They also saw that he had used the smoke as an advantage and set up a 'boundary' with his tail. They were stuck.

"Did you really think that your pathetic attacks would hurt me?" he asked mockingly. "I taught you those attacks, did you think I would teach you something that you could use against me? Pathetic, that's what you are. But I'm willing to give you another chance. Come back with me, my loyal pets, and I will consider forgiving you. Obviously you will be punished, but maybe your training will recommence in a couple weeks. Well? What say you?"

"Forget it!" TK spat, stepping in front of Katya. "You used me, and you couldn't even back up your threat! Why would I go back with you? And Katya's not going either. We refuse to be your _pets _for any longer!"

Isan growled, leaned down quickly, and slapped the boy roughly. "Mind your tongue _pet_!"

"He's not your pet!" Katya yelled back. "Neither am I! Do what you want to us, we will _never _bend to your will!"

"Is that so?" Isan asked, leaning down again so that his face was mere inches from hers. He continued in a hiss, "I do believe you'll change your mind as I can be very…persuasive."

Katya spat in his face, glaring. Isan roared, rearing back. "Little bitch!" he yelled, backhanding her and sending her to the ground.

"Katya!" TK cried out, running over to her. "Are you alright!"

She nodded, still slightly dazed. TK stood up, spun around, and fixed Isan with a death glare.

"You'll be sorry you hurt her," he growled at the Shadowlore. "Nobody hurts my friends."

"Friend? You haven't even known the girl a full hour."

"So? That's long enough to know that she is my friend. You, on the other hand, are my enemy. And I knew that the second I saw you. Now, I'll make you pay for hurting her."

"Oh, I'm so scared," Isan scoffed.

"Well," TK said, getting that strange purple/black aura around him, "You should be."

He closed his eyes and focused. He had never tried using this much energy before. He formed a Dark Energy Sphere in each of his palms. He kept feeding more and more energy into the spheres until they were at triple the energy they had ever been before. He opened his eyes slowly and stared into Isan's face. The Shadowlore actually looked worried.

'_Good,' _TK thought. _'Maybe he finally realizes how much he underestimated me.' _

Staring into the beast's eyes for a second more, he released all the energy towards Isan. Isan's eyes widened and he tried to bring his tail up to block it. But he wasn't fast enough. The attack hit him straight in the chest, knocking him backwards. He fell on his back, scorched, but otherwise not hurt. He thoughts twisted in rage. He was going to make that half-demon bastard pay for humiliating him.

TK watched as Isan fell on his back. From the start, he knew he would not have enough energy to seriously hurt the Shadowlore, but he had enough to give them an opportunity to escape. He turned to Katya, who was on her feet, staring at him in shock.

"Come on!" he said, pulling her out of his daze. They darted towards the forest again. Only twenty-five yards now.

They sighed slightly as they rushed into the trees. Daring a glance behind, TK saw that Isan had managed to get up and was heading for them, deathly rage in his eyes. Katya looked back and saw it too.

"What now?" she asked frantically.

TK looked around. He saw a small space between the ground and a rocky overhang. It was the only place to hide that he could see. "There," he said pointing.

She nodded, and headed for it. When they were close enough, they slid under and scooted as far back as they could. They lay tensely, both panting slightly, TK more so as the attack he had sent had weakened him greatly. Their breath caught in their throats as Isan slithered by slowly. He paused by the overhang, but moved on after a minute or so. Both Mages sighed quietly in relief.

Their relief was short lived as a sickening _crunch _filled the air as Isan broke away the slab of rock shielding them. Several small rocks fell on top of them, the sharp edges leaving many cuts on their skin. Isan threw the slab to the side and started towards them menacingly.

They gulped and tried to scoot further backwards, but they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Literally. Isan flexed a clawed hand and reached down slowly, trying to draw out their terror.

TK placed an arm on Katya's back and used his hand to push her head down. He shifted and tried to shield her body with his own. He would have tried to blast Isan again, but he still felt so weak from the last one. Not even his concern for his friend would give him the energy he needed. He ducked his head too, unable to look at Isan's foul-toothed smile any longer.

He sensed Isan's hand getting closer and he heard the Shadowlore chuckle softly at their apparent fear.

'_Oh Kami, I don't want to die! I need help. _We_ need help. Patamon, Matt, _anyone_! Someone, please help us!'_

Because his head was down, TK didn't notice the stone on his arm flash.

Just as Isan's hand brushed his head, fierce growls were heard and the hand was knocked away. Isan howled in rage and pain. TK dared a look up and gasped, causing Katya to look up too.

There, standing in front of them, was a pack of huge black wolves. The largest one, supposedly the leader, growled and launched himself at Isan. It sunk its teeth into his forearm, drawing dark blood. The other wolves followed suit, all growling and sinking their teeth and claws into the Shadowlore, pulling away chunks of flesh.

Isan growled as he flung his arms and tail to try to dislodge the wolves. But the wolves had a very firm hold on him. However, after a few hits against the ground and some trees some of the wolves were forced to let go. They weren't deterred, though. With rage in their eyes, they jumped right back on him, creating new wounds, spilling more blood on the forest floor.

Isan growled again, but softer this time, as the blood loss began to affect him.

'_He actually has physical limitations,' _TK thought. _'Who knew?'_

With one final growl Isan turned back towards his fortress, realizing his defeat.

"I'll get you yet," he hissed at the children. "Believe me, I'll get you yet." The two stared back, surprised that he was giving up so easily.

Even more surprising was that the wolves let go as soon as he had left the forested area. Then, all but the lead wolf and another disappeared into the trees. The two wolves walked towards the Mages slowly. The children shrank away instinctively, afraid of these blood thirsty creatures.

/We mean you no harm./ TK heard in his mind. He jerked and looked the lead wolf in the eyes. Was he losing it, or had that wolf just _talked _to him.

/Yes, I am talking to you. In your mind at least. My name is Rage, and my pack and I are here to protect you my Lord Takeru./

/What/ TK asked, picking up on the mind-talk quickly. He still wasn't sure if he should trust this wolf. /Why did you call me 'Lord Takeru'? And just who are you anyway/

/Shhh./ Rage told him soothingly, coming closer and bowing his head slightly. /Sleep now my master, things will be explained later./

TK was about to protest when he got a very dizzy feeling in his head. He tried to fight it, but darkness began to overtake his vision. The last thing he heard was Katya calling his name. And the last thing he saw was the giant wolf standing over him, red eyes glowing, Isan's blood still dripping from his fangs.

A/N:Positive reviews would be greatly appreciated, and I'll need some if y'all want me to continue. And don't hesitate to ask questions, I understand that it might be confusing to some of you.


	6. Karina explains all

Disclaimer: Never have, never will

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they were appreciated. This chap will be kinda boring as it's explaining why they're here and what they must do. Don'tlet thisdiscourage you from reading later chaps.

rilla1989-Well, TK and Katya will possiblylove each other and Kari and Hiroki will possiblylove each other, but at first it's _definately _not the way that you are thinking right now. The first part of this is in Kari's POV, and much more of the story will be told from her POV after this chap. Oh, and I will update the glossary as I add new fantasy characters or characters in general, or anything else that might be confusing. If you think I need to add something, let me know.

Now, on with the story.

Kari groaned slightly as she came to. She felt so weak that she considered letting herself fall back into unconsciousness, but decided that she needed to at least open her eyes. She cracked them open and found herself looking up at a wooden roof. She was lying on a soft bed with a light blue quilt on top of her.

'_Whe-where am I?' _she wondered groggily. The last thing she remembered was trying to escape from Shaukaka.

_-Flashback-_

She and Hiroki had been separated from TK and Katya, and Shaukaka was coming towards them, clearly angry. The two Elementals had tried to out run her, but she was faster, seeing as how she could fly and all. She had landed in front of them, cutting off their escape.

Hiroki had pulled Kari around and they tried to backtrack, but were once again cut off. Hiroki had bravely stepped in front of her, already forming Fire in his hands. He had shot Fire balls at the Shadowlore, but she had knocked them away, laughing.

She then advanced towards Hiroki, as his futile attacks continued. She had picked him up by the neck, dangling him a few feet off the ground, and began squeezing his throat. She had grinned evilly at Kari and promised that she would be next.

Seeing Hiroki struggle and weaken made something inside Hikari snap. She couldn't stand seeing her friends being hurt, and Hiroki was no exception. From somewhere deep inside, power began to rush up. It felt like the power that had come to her when TK was being attacked by Shaukaka. Closing her eyes, she had let it loose, praying that it wouldn't harm Hiroki as well.

She heard Shaukaka cry out and heard a _thump_. Opening her eyes once again, she saw that Shaukaka was curled on the ground, muttering foreign curses while Hiroki had landed a few feet away. Kari ran over to him, fearing the worse.

It turned out that he only had the air knocked out of him, and was otherwise fine. Kari breathed a sigh of relief as she helped him sit up. But, not ten seconds later, she was seized from behind by a great clawed hand wrapping around her neck.

She clutched at the hand, choking, as she was pulled backwards. Hiroki had cried out in alarm and was trying to reach her, but he couldn't move fast enough. Kari was hoisted off the ground and the claws dug deeper and deeper into her neck until she was certain that she would surely bleed to death if she wasn't strangled.

She still struggled though, clawing at the hand, wishing for somebody, _anybody_, to come save her. Her vision began to darken around the edges and her attempts to get free became weaker. Just as she was sure that she was going to die, she was dropped.

She landed heavily on her feet and would have collapsed forward, except Hiroki caught her. She looked up at him, but he was looking past her, shock etched on his face. With great effort, she managed to turn around so that she too could see what he was staring at. Her breath caught in her throat.

A _very large_ off-white bird, nearly twice her height, was fighting with the female Shadowlore. And winning. It lunged at Shaukaka, talons first, digging its claws into her shoulder. Shaukaka had hissed and slashed at the creature, drawing some blood of her own.

The bird had released her and reared back, only to dive in again, this time beak first. It had slammed into Shaukaka's stomach, causing the creature to give another horrible scream. Kari had watched, nauseated, as the bird pulled back, some of Shaukaka's flesh in its razor sharp beak.

It dove in again, this time for the kill. But Shaukaka must have seen it coming as she dodged, swiped at the great bird, and headed back for the fortress. As she had flown overhead she had glared at the children, but had made no move to attack them. She had realized that she would have to wait until the bird creature was gone to get the children. But she _would _get them. Of that, she was positive.

The great bird had then landed in front of the children, or in front of Kari to be more specific. Kari had unconsciously backed away a few steps when the bird spread it's wings and dipped into a _bow_, head nearly touching the ground.

Fear not, my mistress. I am Whisper and I will protect you until my dying breath.—

"Yo-You _talked_!" Kari exclaimed, earning a weird look from Hiroki, who had heard nothing.

The bird seemed to chuckle softly. --Yes my mistress-- she replied. --In your mind at least. I can talk aloud, if you wish me to, but it takes a bit more energy to speak the human tongue.--

Why are you calling me 'mistress'?-

Because you _are_ my mistress, mistress. Everything will be explained later. But, you have worn yourself out from fighting that Shadowlore. Sleep now, and all will be revealed later.--

But,- Kari started to protest. Suddenly, her eyelids felt very heavy. "Maybe I could rest, for a little," she said aloud quietly before passing out.

_-End Flashback-_

As this replayed in Kari's mind, her thoughts suddenly shifted to her three companions. Were they okay? What had happened to them?

She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around. She was in a cozy cottage. The walls were whitewashed and a large fur rug covered the floor. A small fire burned in a stone fireplace on the other side of the room. She noticed that Hiroki was sitting by it, half asleep.

He looked up at her and smiled. He got up and walked over to the bed.

"About time you woke up," he commented.

"Huh?"

"You've been asleep nearly two days," he paused. "Ummm…I wanted to thank you. You saved my life when you attacked Shaukaka."

Kari smiled at him warmly. "You're my friend, of course I helped you."

Hiroki blushed slightly. "But still…thanks."

Kari smiled at him again before looking around some more. She noticed Katya sitting by another bed on the other side of the cottage. She appeared to be very tired. Kari then realized that she couldn't see TK. She turned to Hiroki.

"Where's TK? Is he up already?" she asked.

Hiroki looked down somewhat guiltily. "No, he's…over there," he replied nodding towards the bed that Katya was sitting by.

Kari looked back to the bed and finally noticed the blonde hair on the pillow. "Hasn't he gotten up yet?" she asked quietly.

Hiroki shook his head. "He used a lot of energy against Isan. It really wiped him out. But don't worry," he added hastily, seeing her semi-panicked look, "Karina says he will wake up real soon."

"Karina?"

"You'll meet her later. But first, eat this," he said, handing her a bowl of soup, "Takeru will wake up soon. Then Karina will talk to all of us."

"Alright," Kari agreed slowly, taking the bowl. She glanced over at TK's still form again, sighing. Picking up the spoon she began to sip at the soup.

/o-o/

Katya wrung out the wet rag again before placing it back on TK's forehead. He hadn't moved since the fight with Isan. The wolf had put TK on its back, despite Katya's protests, and the other wolf had carried her. They had ended up at Karina's house a few hours later.

All four Guardians had been out for the first day, but then both Katya and Hiroki had woken. Then, a day later, Hikari had come to. It had been six hours since then, and the three Guardians were waiting for Takeru to wake. It seemed that he had used the most energy out of all of them. But, Karina said he would be fine, and she knew all about stuff like that.

Katya's mind flashed back to what TK had said about not letting anybody hurt his friends.

'_He considers me his friend. And he risked himself to protect me,' _she thought. _'But he should have saved himself and left me. I'm sure I don't deserve that great of a friend.'_

Her self criticism was cut short as TK finally moved. She looked down anxiously as his blue eyes opened slowly. His vision shifted towards her and he smiled a little.

"Takeru!" she exclaimed, hugging him. "You're awake!"

TK blushed as she hugged him tightly. He gently returned her hug. He looked over her shoulder and saw Kari and Hiroki on the opposite side of the house he was in. They were looking at him, relieved, but snickering at his embarrassment.

After a few more seconds, Katya pulled away, faint blush tinging her cheeks.

"Uh…sorry about that," she stumbled over the words. "It's just…you were asleep for so long and we were all so worried, but especially me 'cause you used your energy to protect me and I would feel just awful if you had been seriously hurt because of it," she finished hurriedly.

TK smiled at her. "No big deal," he replied. "I'm fine."

Katya sighed in relief. "Good. And, thank you. That's twice now you've saved me."

TK shrugged. "Who's counting?"

The foursome stayed in a comfortable silence for a few seconds until a lady walked in. She had flowing white hair, pale skin, and pale grey eyes. She was wearing a long black dress and had a black stone around her neck.

She looked over at TK and Kari kindly. "I'm so glad you two are finally awake," she said. "Now you will be able to begin your destiny."

"What destiny is that?" Kari asked, having not heard Katya's story.

"Patience child," the woman said amusedly. "I will explain everything. But first, let me introduce myself. I am Karina, Fate Mage. And I know who you two are. You are Takeru, son of BlackWolf, and the new Shadow Mage. And you are Hikari, daughter of EvenBreeze and the new Wind Elemental."

"How did you know?" TK asked, astounded that this stranger knew so much about them. "Did they tell you?" he asked, referring to Katya and Hiroki.

Karina smiled. "No Shadow Mage, they did not. I know all about the Guardians; past, present, and future."

"Everyone keeps calling us the 'Guardians'," Kari exclaimed, exasperatedly. "Just what are they talking about?"

Karina's smile stayed in place. "Well, I could go into great detail, but I think the Legend of the Guardians will explain it much more quickly."

"The Legend of the Guardians?" all four children asked at once. Not even Katya and Hiroki knew of this. All they had been told was that they were to find the Shadow Mage and Wind Elemental in order to save the world. Other than that, very little background information had been given. What Katya knew, she had heard from various travelers.

"Yes. Now, listen closely, for this is how the Legend goes:

_Behold the four chosen, masters of Shadow, Light, Wind, Fire, the Guardians of Hiata for as long as they may reign._

_Bound by oath, blood, honor, and destiny they shall, until their dying breaths, protect Hiata from otherwise inevitable doom no matter what the sacrifice. _

_Should they fail, evil will take over and chaos will ensue. With their lives they must ensure that this does not happen. That is their sworn duty, and the duty of their descendants for all eternity. So shall it be written, so shall it be fulfilled._" She finished in a soft, almost trance-like tone.

The four children looked at her, all silent, thinking over what they had just heard.

"It is said that two of the chosen will be from Hiata, while the other two are from Earth," she continued after a minute. "It is said that they will be children when they first come to save us. And it is said that they will be the most powerful beings in all of the worlds."

"Ummm…no offense," Kari said, unbelievingly "But, I think you've got the wrong girl. I'm pretty sure I'm _not _a Guardian. Surely there's another 'Wind Elemental' that can help you out."

"No, you are she. I know it," Karina insisted before turning to the others. "And that goes for you three as well. You _are _the ones. It literally flows in your blood."

"I still don't understand," TK exclaimed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "What do you mean 'it flows in our blood?'"

Karina sat down on a stool by the fire. She gazed into the fire as she spoke. "I mean that your blood is _identical_ to your ancestors, the past Guardians. You are…for lack of a better word, clones. All of you."

"Clones!" they exclaimed in unison.

Karina nodded. "You see, the four previous Guardians were killed in a battle against Isan. They were able to destroy the Chaos Stone, but they had to pay with their lives to do it. They didn't have the option of defeating Isan afterwards. As they lay dying on the battle field, they called upon the last of their strength to create a type of clone of themselves. BlackWolf and EvenBreeze sent their clones to the wombs of two women on Earth while WhiteLioness and ScorchingFlame kept their clones here on Hiata. It _is _strange, however, that you are all human seeing as how your 'parents' were…let's just say, different."

"You're kidding, right?" Kari asked, awed.

Hiroki and Katya stared at Karina with more awe than the other two.

"You…you know who our parents are?" Katya asked unbelievingly.

Karina nodded. "Of course," she replied easily, "I told you, I know everything about all of the Guardians."

"Then why didn't you tell us the first time we met!" Hiroki demanded, shooting up.

"I only talked to you for a few minutes that time. Besides, I thought it might…complicate things if you knew before you found the other two Guardians."

Hiroki and Katya stared at the Fate Mage again, speechless and still somewhat angry. TK decided to intervene to prevent an all out fight.

"Umm, Karina? If our…our clones couldn't beat Isan, why do you think we can? I mean, you just said that we're…umm…copies of them, so wouldn't our fight have the same outcome?" he stumbled a bit over certain words, still trying to comprehend what Karina was saying about their origins.

Katya, Hiroki, and Kari looked keenly at Karina, awaiting the answer.

Karina smiled again. "No my child. For the Guardians used their abilities to make sure that their clones would have the potential to harbor more power than they themselves could have ever hoped for."

"Come again?" Hiroki said.

"They used an unknown power to give you potential. With proper training you could become the most powerful beings in history!"

"That's what Isan said," TK interjected quietly. The other three Guardians hung their heads, each remembering Isan's taunting words.

"Now, now dears, don't dwell on Isan just yet," Karina said, trying to lighten the mood. "You have a much more important task to take care of before you even _think _about facing him in battle."

"Oh? And what task is that?" Kari asked.

"You must awaken your true power."

"Isn't that what that damned ritual did?" TK all but growled.

Hiroki and Kari looked at him strangely.

"What are you talking about?" Hiroki asked. "It wasn't that bad, degrading, but not bad."

"Are you insane?" Katya asked. "It was awful!"

"Calm down," Karina intervened. "You are not talking of the same ritual here. The ritual is different for Mages and Elementals. It just happens that the ritual for Mages, the Dark Creature Ritual, is very painful, whereas the Purification of Mind Ritual for Elementals is not. It is to be expected though, as Mages _are _part demon."

"Say what!" TK exclaimed. "There's no way I'm part demon! I mean, I've got the Crest of Hope for crying out loud!"

"Not all demons are evil," Karina replied, rebuke in her voice. "Many of the Pure Demons were good. But, enough talk of your pasts, we must now look to the future. Starting with this quest to awaken your true powers, your true potential. Yes, the rituals brought your magic to the surface, but that is all they did. They did not strengthen them, or even allow them to make contact with Shadow Beasts or Spirit Animals. Somehow, Takeru and Hikari were able to do that on their own, but still…" the last sentence was spoken quietly, almost as if Karina was speaking to herself.

'_Shadow Beasts? What?' _TK thought, _'Wait! She must be talking about the giant wolves that saved us. Rage, that was the name of the pack leader. But…where is he now? Is he gone?' _TK wondered, looking around.

He looked back towards Karina, who was mumbling something. "Karina?" he asked, breaking her concentration.

"…hmm? What is it?"

"Where's Rage?"

"Who?"

"Rage, the wolf."

"Oh, is that his name? He wouldn't tell me. Not that I expected him too. Shadow Beasts usually only speak to their Mage master or mistress. The same goes for Spirit Animals and their Elementals. But, to answer your question, he's outside, with that rather large bird."

"Do you mean Whisper? Is she a…Spirit Animal?" Kari asked, glad she hadn't hallucinated the bird.

"Yes. Quite magnificent specimens, aren't they. And they will remain loyal until you die, or they die. Of course, Spirit Beasts can only be killed by Mages or Shadowlores and Spirit Animals can only be killed by Elementals or Shadowlores. That's not to say that they can't be harmed by others though."

"What else can you tell us about these…creatures?" Katya asked.

"Not much, I'm afraid. Most knowledge you must learn on your own. I can tell you that they often wait generations before choosing a master or mistress. They are very picky. Whether or not Katya and Hiroki will have them, I cannot say, but I would imagine so. Not much is known about Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals, and I can not tell you any more."

They sat quietly for a few seconds until Hiroki broke the silence.

"What quest were you talking about, a while back? You never did tell us."

Karina nodded. "Right, well, no sidetracking this time. This quest, as I said, is to awaken your true potential. Theoretically, you could do that here, with much training, but that would take several years and we don't have that kind of time. So, in order to reach maximum power, you must travel to your origins, where your people come from."

"And that would be…" Kari waited for Karina to fill in the blank.

"For Elementals, it is up North. For Mages, it is down South."

"Ummm…can you be a _bit _more specific?" Katya asked, "North and South are pretty…general directions."

"Some things you must find out on your own. Do not fret though, let your magic guide you. Because you are doubtful of your duty in this world, think of this as a…final test to prove that you are indeedthe Guardians. Only those who have been to the Vorago or the Pomarius can find the way. Because the previous Guardians had been there, and their blood flows through you, you will have no trouble."

"Oookay," Kari drawled. "So, say we get to these places, then what?"

Karina smiled secretively again. "Some things you must find out on your own," she replied, insistently.

"Well…can you tell us how long this journey will take?" Hiroki asked, starting to lose patience with the woman.

"It depends really. But I would guess…between four and six months to get there."

"Four and six _months_!" all Guardians exclaimed.

"Yes, 'tis a short time really. You will leave in the morning, Mages heading south, Elementals heading north. With luck, you will all meet back here within a year."

TK stared. A _year_! He had to be away from his home for _at least_ a year? Away from his family and friends? Looking over at Kari, he could tell that she was thinking the same thing. Then another thought popped into his head. Would they even be able to get home if they succeeded?

"Karina?" he asked quietly.

"Yes? What is it darling?"

"Well…Kari and I…will we…y'know…be able to go back home when all this is over? After we've done our part?"

Karina frowned. "I honestly don't know child. While I know a little of Earth, how to get there and back is a mystery to me. But, I am sure we will find someone who knows someway to get back. But, don't fret over that. You've a long road ahead before you can even consider going home."

"Oh," TK replied, eyes downcast. Was that supposed to make him feel better? If it was, it had failed miserably.

Immediately after she frowned, Karina's smile returned. She almost seemed too happy.

"Time for bed children. You need lots of sleep if you're to leave bright and early. Rest now, boys on that bed, girls on this one," she said, pointing to each bed in turn. "I'll be out for the night, but I'm sure you'll be fine. I'll be back in the morning to wish you farewell. Goodnight, children, sleep well," she said, as she headed out the door.

The children sighed. Hiroki headed for the bed that Karina had indicated. He looked back over his shoulder. "You comin' to bed Takeru?"

TK, looked up quickly, jerked out of his thoughts. "…no, not yet. I'm going for a walk. I'll be back later."

Hiroki shrugged. "Suit yourself. But don't stay out too late, in case you haven't noticed, Hiata's not exactly the safest place."

TK gave him a small reassuring smile before heading out. He walked around to the back of Karina's cottage, keeping a sharp eye out. After he made a full circle he sighed and sat down on a big rock.

'_I thought she said Rage was out here.'_

/I am./

TK looked up and saw Rage _right _in front of him. He jumped back, surprised, and landed on his back on the other side of the rock.

/Are you alright master/ Rage asked in what TK perceived to be a concerned tone,

/Yeah, I'm fine. You caught me off guard, that's all. Oh, and just call me Takeru, okay? No Lord, or master, or anything like that./

/As you wish. If I may ask, why were you looking for me? Did you need something/

As TK stood up, he realized that Rage's shoulder was about two inches higher than his head. But Rage had lowered his own head so that it was even with TK's.

/I wanted to thank you/ he said, cautiously reaching out a hand to pet the wolf.

Rage nuzzled against it to show that he didn't mind. /It is my duty to protect you Takeru./

/I know, that's what Karina said. But still…thank you. Tell me, who were the other wolves? Where are they now/ he asked, petting Rage's neck.

/Your pack of Shadow Beasts consists of myself and 9 others. The females are Tempest, Storm, Midnight, Hysteria, and Frenzy. The males are Apocalypse, Poison, Dusk, and Revenge./

TK looked at him oddly. /Why the gloomy names/

/We are born of the Darkness and represent some of its many physical forms. We did not choose these names, we were created with them./

/I see/ TK scratched the giant wolf's neck. /Rage, may I ask you something/

/Of course/

/Will you and your pack come with Katya and me tomorrow, to Vorago/

Rage looked at him, slightly surprised. /Of course Takeru. We now go where ever you go. No matter where that is. We are here to protect you for all eternity./

TK smiled and rested his head on Rage's shoulder. /That's good to know. But…what will happen if…I mean, _when _I go back to Earth/

/I am not sure Takeru/ Rage replied, lying down. /I imagine that we will stay with you in your mind, if not in physical form./ the great wolf yawned, placing his head on folded paws.

TK sat down and leaned against Rage's warm, black fur. It was very soft and comfortable. As he looked up at the strange stars of Hiata, he slowly drifted off.

Rage placed his tail over TK to keep him from getting a chill. Then he lay his head back on his paws. He was not worried for now. They were in a secure area and he would hear anything well before it would see them. Besides, the nine other members of the pack were positioned around the cottage strategically. No one would get to their master that night.

/o-o/

The next morning TK awoke, still curled in Rage's fur. He blinked and sat up, stretching. He reached a hand over and stroked Rage's head gently. Rage cracked his eyes opened and growled contentedly.

/Karina is looking for you/ he told TK in a lazy tone. /She told me to wake you, but I decided to let you awaken on your own./

TK chuckled. /You don't like taking orders do you/

/We only take orders from you./ he replied simply.

TK stood up and stretched again. /Well, hopefully I won't disappoint you. I should probably go see what Karina wants. I suppose we'll be leaving soon, so don't go too far, please./

Rage nodded. /I will only go as far as the river, less than a quarter mile away. Just call for me when we are about to depart./

TK gave him another pat on the head before heading into the cottage. He saw Karina pacing inside, not looking completely happy. The other three were still asleep.

Karina sighed. "I _told _him to wake you up over an hour ago."

TK shrugged. "He doesn't want to listen to you. He says that he only listens to me."

Karina ran an annoyed hand through her hair. "Well, you're here now, and we need to talk."

"Shouldn't we wait until the others wake up?"

"No, I mean, _we _need to talk. As in, the two of us."

"Umm…okay."

"Follow me," Karina ordered, leading him out the back way.

He obeyed. When they were about twenty feet away from the cottage, she began speaking again.

"I feel I should warn you that, as the Shadow Mage, you have the hardest task ahead."

TK didn't respond, he waited for her to continue. She did, several seconds later.

"You see, for as long as the Legend of the Guardians has existed, it has always placed the Shadow Mage as the leader. It has been that way since the first Guardians appeared. And it will continue with you."

"But, why me?" TK asked, confused. "I just arrived on Hiata a few weeks ago, I don't know anything about this place. Why doesn't Hiroki or Katya lead? They've lived here their whole lives."

"No, Shadow Mage, it must be you. _You _must lead the revolt against Isan and _you _must make sure it succeeds."

"How?"

Karina smiled down at him. "The answer lies here," she said, putting a slender finger on his chest. "Deep inside. You will know what to do when the time comes. You must trust in yourself though, as the others will trust in you."

TK sighed and looked away. "I had a problem with killing those pixies, I don't think I can lead an all out war."

"You have no choice in the matter," Karina replied sharply, personality drastically changing. "It is your destiny, your duty, whether you want it or not. And you'd better get used to it, because if you fail, this world falls."

'_Oh, great,'_ TK thought sarcastically, _'The fate of yet another world falls on me. Except, this time, she says it as though it is _just_ me. But, the others will have a part too. They'd better, because I seriously doubt I can do this alone.'_

As if able to read his thoughts, Karina shook her head and sighed in rebuke. "Continue to doubt yourself and you will cost not only your own life, but the lives of millions of others too, including thousands of children. Is that what you want? To be a murderer simply because you can't get over your self-pity?"

TK glared, who was she to lecture him like that and call him a potential murderer? She had no right. He looked up sharply as Rage appeared by his side.

/Rage? What is it/ he asked, tone calm with the beast.

/I felt that you were upset. Did _she_ upset you/ he asked, indicating Karina in a tone that told TK that Rage wouldn't hesitate to kill her if he so ordered.

TK sighed and placed a hand on the top of Rage's neck /It's…fine. Just leave her be. Let's go back to the others./

/Alright Takeru./ he replied, turning around. He paused to quietly growl threateningly at Karina. The message was simple: _Stay away from my Takeru._

Karina frowned more deeply before dismissing it and walking the long way around to the front of the cottage.

When TK reached the cottage, the other three were just getting up. Hiroki turned to him and frowned.

"You didn't come back last night," he said in an almost accusatory tone.

TK smiled slightly at him. "Sorry, I fell asleep outside. But, Rage was with me."

"Rage? Is that him, right there?" Kari asked a little nervously, indicating to the door that Rage was standing outside of.

"Yep. Don't worry, he won't hurt you."

"Alright. Well, I suppose we're leaving soon. Has anyone seen Karina?"

TK frowned, recalling the events of just minutes ago. "Yeah, she'll be here soon," he replied shortly.

The other three raised eyebrows at his tone, but didn't say anything. They all looked towards the door as Karina walked in, pausing to glare at Rage. Rage growled and started to stand up.

/Let her be Rage/ TK said quickly. /She's not worth it./

Rage laid back down. /Yes Takeru./

Karina glided in and sat on a stool, throwing a meaningful look at TK. The other three looked between Karina and TK and back to Karina again, very confused. Karina broke her gaze and looked the other three over, smiling once again.

"Well, are you ready to leave?"

Hiroki shrugged. "Sure, why not? The sooner we leave, the sooner we get back." Katya and Kari nodded their agreement while TK didn't move. He was still somewhat irked at Karina for scolding him. What did she know? And besides, he wasn't sure he trusted her. That rapid personality change made him uneasy.

"Well, then, I suggest you start out now, while it's still early. With luck, each pair of you should get thirty miles or so today."

"And how do you figure that?" Katya asked, "No way we can walk thirty miles in one day."

Karina's smile turned a little more mischievous. "Now, who said you were walking?"

"Huh?" Katya, Kari, and Hiroki asked.

TK caught on quickly. "She means that Katya and I will ride on my wolves while Kari and Hiroki ride on Kari's bird."

"Oh," Kari said, "that makes sense I suppose."

"Very good," Karina praised in a condescending tone. "Now, I would give you food and water, but they would only slow you down. Besides, I'm sure you've all learned the trick with your stone that allows you to seldom eat and drink?" she looked at them expectantly and they nodded. "Well, there's not much else I can say then except, good luck and god-speed." She began to walk outside and the four followed her.

"Your rides are around here, so I will let you call them and be on your way. If you feel the need, you may come back here, you will always be welcome. And Takeru," she said in a softer, but still joyful tone, "Remember what we talked about this morning."

TK sent her another small glare mostly because of her tone. He let out a sigh.

/Rage? We are ready to leave. Karina says we are to ride you wolves, but we won't unless it is alright with you./

/Of course it is alright Takeru. I have carried you before, and you weigh next to nothing./

TK smiled at Rage, who was now walking towards them. /Do you think another wolf would be willing to carry Katya? I don't want to put too much strain on you./

Rage smiled in TK's mind. /It would not strain me, but I believe that my mate will happily carry Katya as she did before./

/And who is your mate? You told me their names, but you never did say. Is it Tempest, Midnight, Storm, Hysteria, or Frenzy/

/Tempest is my mate and my second-in-command. Call her the same way you call me, and she will come./

TK nodded and thought, how exactly was it that he called Rage? He just sensed the wolf's mind and spoke. So, maybe he needed to find Tempest's mind and speak to her. But, how would he know which wolf was Tempest?

/You will know Takeru./

TK looked over at Rage, slightly startled, and smiled at the kind wolf. Letting his senses go, he searched for his wolves, though he really had no idea how he would know if he had found them. Suddenly, he felt…something…several somethings. They were…comforting, secure, yet very powerful. He inwardly smiled. _'These must be my wolves. But, which one is Tempest?' _

As he concentrated more, he realized that each wolf had its own unique…feel. As he thought of the name 'Tempest' one wolf's energy seemed to stand out.

/Tempest/ he called out unsurely to that wolf.

/Yes master/ came a feminine voice.

/Just call me Takeru, please. I was wondering if you would come and carry Katya on our journey. If you don't want to, just say so./ he added, for good measure.

/Of course I will Takeru. I will be there shortly./

/Thank you/ TK replied before cutting the mind link. He felt her energy coming closer.

Suddenly, he noticed that a shadow had covered the ground. Looking up, he saw an _immense _white bird. It glided down and landed in front of Kari. She pet its bowed head and TK figured that she was talking to it like he talked to his wolves. He wondered if she had more than one too.

/No/ Rage answered and TK jumped. /I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you./

/It's alright, no harm done. Now, what were you going to say/

/Mages are the only ones who can control packs of Shadow Beasts, that is why they are often remembered by their packs. Elementals, however, are remembered by their element because they only control one Spirit Animal./

/Oh, I see./

"Takeru, who's that?" Katya asked, a little nervous.

"Who's who?" TK replied turning around. He saw another black wolf coming towards them. She was only slightly smaller than Rage and had blue eyes.

"That's Tempest," TK told Katya. "She carried you from the fight with Isan and she's going to be your ride again. You can pet her, she won't mind."

Katya stepped closer hesitantly. She slowly reached out her hand, a little afraid. "G-good wolf. Tempest, that's your name isn't it? I wanted to..um..thank you for protecting us from Isan."

Tempest nuzzled Katya's hand and the girl visibly relaxed.

"She says you're welcome."

"TK!" Kari called out suddenly from across the clearing.

TK turned to see what the fuss was about and saw Kari coming towards him quickly. When she was close enough, she threw her arms around him.

"Whisper says we need to leave now," she told him, sniffling slightly.

TK looked down at her. "Don't be sad Kari, I'm sure these months will fly right by. We'll see each other again soon enough."

Kari nodded, still hugging him. "I'm going to miss you though."

"Yeah, I'll miss you too."

Hikari, we must go now-

Kari pulled away sadly. "Well, goodbye TK. I hope we get this done soon." She started walking over to Whisper and Hiroki before looking over her shoulder. "And try to stay out of trouble, you won't have me there to protect you," she said teasingly.

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" TK replied in the same tone. They smiled at each other again before going to their respective animals.

Rage knelt down as TK came closer and the boy easily swung himself up onto the wolf's back, near his shoulders. Next to him Katya got up onto Tempest. Looking behind him, TK saw the two Elementals climb up onto Whisper's back. The bird bent its legs before gracefully taking to the sky and turning to fly North.

TK turned his attention back to Rage and Tempest.

/Are you two ready/ he asked both of them at the same time.

/Yes Takeru/ they replied simultaneously.

/Then let's go/ he said, adjusting his hold on Rage.

With this order the two wolves began moving, slowly at first, but making their way into a medium running speed. As the wolves dodged the surrounding trees, TK and Katya looked back one last time. They saw a large black speck on the horizon, Whisper. They couldn't see Karina's cottage anymore, but that suited TK just fine. He wouldn't mind if he never saw that woman again.

"Well, this is it, it's just us now," Katya commented to TK.

TK nodded as the wolves continued to run. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he had a feeling it was going to be one hell of an adventure.

A/N: Will become more exciting, I promise! Now,the story format can go one of two ways from here. 1) I could write the two quests in alternating chaps (ex. Ch. 6-TK/Ch.7-Kari/Ch.8-TK...etc.) or2) I can completely post one quest and then completely post the other. It's up to you, makes no difference to me. Just review and let me know. Remember, questions are welcomed in the reviews and will be answered in the next chap.


	7. First days out

Disclaimer: same as always

A/N: Thanks for the reviews first off. Anyway, I should warn you that there is a scene in this chapter that might offend some people, because it may seem sexual. IT's NOT! Not really. It's just used to contrast the cultural differences. Just thought I'd warn you.

Katya sighed heavily as she plopped down on a pile of leaves. They had ridden all day and she was so sore it wasn't even funny. She looked over at Takeru, who was 'talking' to one of the wolves. Rage, she assumed from the color of his eyes.

The wolf and Takeru stood 'silently' for a few more seconds before the wolf, and several others, headed off into the landscape.

"Where are they going?" Katya asked him.

"They're going to get some food. I'm not sure about you, but I haven't eaten for nearly two weeks, and even with this stone trick, I'm hungry."

"Yeah, me too. Hey Takeru?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

TK walked over to tend the fire a few feet away. "Sure."

"Why were you so mad at Karina?"

TK stiffened. He looked over at Katya, "She started lecturing me about how _I _was supposed to be the leader. When I said that I wasn't sure I was the right person for the job, she said that I'd better get over my self-pity before I as good as murdered everyone on Hiata," he shrugged, "I just got pissed off, I suppose."

Katya's eyes widened. "She said that to you?" she asked, astonished.

"Yep."

"That witch had no right!" Katya vented. "I don't see her going on a quest so that she can save the world. No, she's safe at home while she sent us out on this mission. I can't believe her!"

TK raised an eyebrow at her anger. "It's really not that big of a deal. She's not worth getting worked up over."

Katya nodded. "I suppose. But I'm still gonna give her a piece of my mind when I see her again."

TK chuckled. He looked up as the wolves came back, Tempest carrying a dead deer. She set it by his feet. He reached out and pet her head.

/Thank you. You should go find something for yourselves to eat now./

Tempest moved her head in a nod. /Half of us will go out now, the other half will go out later. Some of us must be here to watch over you/ she said in explanation.

TK smiled. /Alright, just make sure everyone gets enough./

He turned back to Katya. "So…do you have a knife or something?"

Katya rolled her eyes as she walked over stiffly. "You're horrible at camping, y'know that? You're so unprepared."

"Well, I wasn't exactly _planning _on coming to this world. We can pick up supplies in the next town can't we? I mean, if we work for the money."

Katya nodded as she took out a pocket knife and began to carve the deer. "Yeah, we'll need to get extra clothes, weapons, blankets, extra money, stuff like that. We can probably get a job at an Inn or something. If nothing else…we could always work the streets. There are plenty of people who would pay for us."

TK blushed at what she had implied. "N-no, I think we'll stick to the Inn."

She chuckled at his blush, yet she didn't quite understand _why _he was blushing. "Tell me…is it uncommon on Earth for two people to become lovers by the time they are 12?"

TK's eyes widened in shock. "Hell yeah that's uncommon!" he exclaimed. "Most people don't get _that_ serious until they're _at least _15 or 16."

Katya looked at him, confused. "But…there's nothing very serious about being lovers. Lovers are people who you can't afford to actually love, but you want for pleasure anyway. Isn't that how it works on Earth?"

TK's blush deepened. "No…not really. It's complicated. Why don't we talk about something else?" he hurriedly changed the subject.

"Alright," she replied, placing the strips of deer meat on a smooth clean rock right next to the fire to cook. "What is Earth like? I have heard fairy tales of marvelous inventions. Like…a box that talks when you push a button…or a thing that lets you talk to people far away by pushing a few buttons. Tell me, do such wonders truly exist?"

TK laughed at her curiousness and astonishment of things that he took for granted. "Yeah, most people have them. The 'box' you were talking about is a television. You can change the channel to watch whatever you want. They have sports and comedy shows and drama. And the other thing you were talking about is called a telephone. And, yes, it does let you talk to anyone anywhere in the world by dialing a number."

"Wow," Katya breathed. "Such wonderful things Earth has, we have nothing like that here."

"Well, we don't have any fairies or magic on Earth," TK replied, "Though, we have heard stories about them."

"I can't imagine a world without magic, it's always been here for all time. I don't know how anyone could possibly survive without it."

"So, does everyone on Hiata have magic?"

"Of course not, only a select few. But, it is incorporated into everyone's lives through medicine and such."

"I see."

They were silent for a few minutes until Katya spoke again.

"The deer's done. Here," she said, handing him a few strips on a smooth rock.

He took them gratefully and began to slowly chew. Soon he was finished, and so was she.

"Takeru, do you think your wolves could find out if there's any water around here? I'd like to drink and bathe."

"Yeah, sure. Hang on."

He concentrated a bit to figure out which of his wolves were here and which were on the hunt.

/Poison?/ he asked one of the close wolves, /Is there any clean water near here? Do you know?/

The green-eyed wolf rose. /I will check Takeru./

/Thank you,/ TK replied as he walked off.

Several minutes later he returned. /There is a clear stream less than a quarter mile away,/ he informed the boy. /Would you like me to take you there?/

TK nodded before turning to Katya. "Poison found a stream not too far away. He'll lead us there."

"Good," Katya replied, stretching. "I need a bath," she wrinkled her nose, "And so do you."

TK chuckled. "I wouldn't insult me if I were you. I could just leave you here."

Katya's eyes widened. "No, no. I was just kidding," she said hurriedly.

TK chuckled again. "Come on." /Lead the way Poison./

The wolf nodded and walked ahead, the two humans trailing a few feet behind. As they walked, TK took in the scenery. This forest was nothing like the ones on Earth and the Digital world. The trees looked so different, thin and elegant. TK looked up into the branches of one and nearly jumped back in surprise.

Up in the tree there was a small pretty girl. She had flowers in her brown/green hair and was clothed in nothing but a dress of leaves. She had light brown skin and deep green eyes. She also had small clear wings coming from her back. They fluttered as she watched the two intently with a child's curiousity.

Katya noticed his astonished look and turned to see what he found so interesting. She smiled when she saw it.

"It is a Tree Fairy," she told him. "Several of them live in forests, each caring for a dozen or so trees. They are usually secretive, not many people see them. Myself, I have only seen two others, and only because I was raised in a forest village. If she is out, then we have nothing to fear tonight."

"That's good," TK commented, still looking at the small Fairy. Suddenly, his attention was caught by a creature on the ground.

It was a minature wingless dragon, about 3 feet tall.

"K-katya…there's a _dragon _over there."

Katya looked over and smiled at the creature. "Don't worry, she's harmless. She's probably just scavenging for her young."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, I know she's a girl because of her light coloring, and dragon mating season was a few months ago, so if she has pups, they will already be born. Minature dragons are gentle though, unless you try to threaten their young. See?" she said, pulling out an extra piece of deer meat.

She walked over to the dragon and held out the meat. "Here girl," she said quietly.

The dragon looked at her, blinked a few times, and gently took the meat from her hand. Katya walked back over to TK, satisfied look on her face. "See? Harmless."

"If you say so," TK replied. He looked a few feet away towards Poison, who was patiently waiting. "Come on, we should get to the stream so we can get back, sleep, and leave fairly early tomorrow."

Katya nodded, "You're right. Let's go."

With that they continued their walk. Only minutes later, they heard water flowing and 30 seconds or so after that they came to a clearing. But they weren't alone.

In the middle of the clearing, by the stream's edge, there was a group of exotic looking women. They had deep blue hair, pale blue skin, and were dressed in short light tunics that matched their skin. All had their hair long and flowing and had deep blue eyes.

They were gracefully dancing in a circle around a pile of white glowing rocks. They joined hands and skipped around the rocks before parting and spinning around, dipping low during the turn. They danced alone and with each other. Together, it was a beautiful sight.

"Water Nymphs," Katya said quietly. "If we don't interupt their celebration, they will not bother us. In fact, they may even welcome us."

As she said that last part, one of the Nymphs noticed them. She laughed joyfully and pointed them out to the other Nymphs who proceeded to skip over to the three. They spun around the two humans reaching out to touch TK's hair as though it was fine quality silk. He didn't stop them, but looked at Katya for an explanation.

She chuckled at the Nymph's eagerness to touch the boy's hair. "Blonde hair is very uncommon in Hiata. I doubt they have ever seen it before. Actually, _I've_ never seen anyone with blonde hair, other than you."

"Oh," TK replied simply as the Nymphs continued to run their hands through his hair while Poison kept a watchful eye on them. After a few minutes they stopped and pulled the two towards the bubbling stream. Poison followed quietly, not really worried, for he knew of the Nymphs' gentle, yet playful, nature and rituals, but watchful nonetheless.

Katya laughed with the Nymphs as they were pulled into warm chest deep water. Then the Nymphs did something that TK hadn't been expecting in the least. They began to _undress _the two children while singing a haunting melody. TK looked frantically at Katya, but she seemed to be enjoying herself too much to notice him. He turned away, blushing, as he realized that the Nymphs had almost taken her shirt off completely.

When the Nymphs had gotten him out of his shirt, they reached for his belt. _This_ really freaked him out.

/Poison! What are they doing?!/

The green-eyed wolf looked up at his master's franticness. He inwardly chuckled when he saw the cause. /Relax Takeru, things are different here than they are on your Earth. The Nymphs are only doing what they do for all traveler's who come by. It is simply a ritual, they mean you no harm. You should try to enjoy it, like mistress Katya is./

TK looked over and saw that Katya was indeed enjoying herself very much. He looked away, face beet red as he realized that he had been looking at her when she had no clothes on whatsoever, not that he had actually _seen _anything, mind you, for the water was bubbly and the surface was obscured. He was still so embarrassed that he didn't notice the Nymphs take off his belt and begin to remove his pants. Some of the Nymphs had already begun washing his back and chest, gently kneading herbal soap into his skin. It was very relaxing.

Soon, he had nothing but the black boxers on. When a Nymph reached to remove those too, he debated fighting back, or calling on Poison to help. But, the hands on his torso felt so good, and the song relaxed him almost to the point of euphoria. Besides, Poison had assured him that nothing was wrong. He was sure that this would be very wrong on Earth, but, then again, he wasn't on Earth now was he? _'Well,' _he thought blissfully as he listened to the calming song, _'When in Hiata…'_

He simply relaxed as the Nymphs finished undressing him. However, one thing still bothered him slightly.

/Poison?/

/Yes?/

/What is this soothing song that they sing?/

/It is just that, a song to soothe a weary traveler's mind. Often times, travelers are reluctant to participate in the Nymph's ritual, like you were. They use this song to relax them and make sure that it is pleasurable for the recipient and not stressful. They mean to do nothing but help./

/Oh,/ TK replied as the Nymph hands continued to knead his skin. Some were still working on his torso, while some were massaging his legs that were sore from riding Rage all day.

He became uncomfortable as the hands worked their way up, and the Nymph's increased their song to relax him more. However, they did not go any farther than his mid-thighs nor any lower than his lower back, they knew better than that. While most of the rest of his body was being massaged and washed, two Nymphs dipped his head back in the water and began to gently scrub some kind of organic shampoo into his hair.

As they massaged the front of his head, he was reminded of Isan's 'ritual', but he quickly forced that thought out of his head and concentrated on how good it felt. He vaguely noticed even more Nymphs scrubbing the clothes that he and Katya had worn and laying them by the glowing stones to dry.

Suddenly, he felt some of their nimble fingers trace the collar that was still on his neck. He sighed, he had tried to remove it, but there seemed to be no clasp. It was like it had been melted around his neck. The Nymph fingers became slightly more agitated as they couldn't remove it either. He leaned his head back and looked at the Nymphs who were trying so hard to remove the collar.

"It's alright," he said quietly, "I don't think it comes off."

They smiled down at him somewhat sadly before resuming rubbing his tense muscles. He closed his eyes as his muscles began to relax. Soon his whole body seemed to be a lead weight. He felt himself getting drowsy, and though he tried to stay awake he drifted to sleep, held up in the water by the many Nymphs around him.

A few minutes later the Nymphs carried the two sleeping children out of the warm stream, dried them with gentle woven towels, and redressed them in their now clean and dry clothes. They then placed them on the soft grass near the base of a tree, placing Katya's head on TK's chest. Smiling somewhat mischieviously, they silently slipped into the water before dissolving into bubbles and floating downstream. Perhaps they would come visit these children another time, they thought, but that would be much later.

As TK slept, he subconsciously wrapped his arm around Katya's shoulders. Poison watched them, inwardly smiling. He sent a mental message to the other wolves so that they would know where their master was. A few seconds later, all had arrived to stand guard around the perimeter. As they watched, the Tree Fairy cautiously climbed down from her tree and walked towards the sleeping children, wings fluttering excitedly.

She, like the Nymphs had, could sense the power that these two held. It felt like the power that the four Gaurdians had radiated only 12 years ago. She knew that these must be the new Gaurdians, here to save all of Hiata, including the magical creatures. She wanted to help in any way that she could, and while she couldn't do much, she could give them a more restful sleep. Pulling out her wooden flute she began to play a soft lullaby. The flute was carved from enchanted wood, and the song lulled the intended listeners into a very deep, very restful sleep.

She continued playing for most of the night, only stopping when the sun began to rise. Walking nimbly past the docile wolves she disappeared into the trees looking with a child's smile at the two sleeping Mages.

TK woke up a few hours later and blinked, surprised by the weight on his front. He looked down and saw Katya curled up by him, head on his chest. His eyes widened and he sat up quickly, blushing.

Katya blinked and yawned, still lying down. "What's the matter?"

"Umm…n-nothing. We should probably get going now," he said quickly, trying to cover his embarrassment.

Katya blinked again before sitting up and nodding. "Yeah, that Nymph ritual really relaxed me, I bet I can ride all day again. What about you?"

TK nodded back at her. "Yeah, that…whatever it was…felt really good."

"It's the Nymph's Rejuvenation ritual. They get joy from helping travelers, it's really quite nice for us. But, I doubt we'll see any more Nymphs for a while. They're very rare now, like most of the other magical creatures. Magical people as well." She sighed deeply.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you about it as we ride, but we should go now before it gets too late. With luck we'll reach a town tonight."

"You're right," TK agreed. /Are you ready?/ he asked all of them.

/Yes Takeru/ they all answered. Rage and Tempest came up and kneeled by the two. They carefully mounted the wolves and began their trek at a slightly slower pace that day.

After a few minutes TK turned to Katya. "What did you mean when you said that magical creatures and people were very rare now? Were they not always rare?"

Katya sighed slightly again. "No, it wasn't always like this. Two millennia ago, all magical creatures were bountiful and most were peaceful with each other, the exception being the Shadowlore. Most other magical creatures were good, only a few evil. When crossbreeding with humans began and the humans were fully introduced to the magical world, many became scared.

"They would teach the half-breed children from the instant they were born to fear anything magical, nevermind that the children themselves were oftentimes magical. However, most parents decided to eliminate their children's powers before they could develop. So began the decrease in magical people"

"But what about magical creatures?" TK asked.

"Well, with the fear of magical people came the fear of magical creatures. So, after a few generations, when the main magical protectors had pretty much died out, the humans and half-breeds began to hunt the magical creatures. This slaughter continued for near 100 years until the very first Gaurdians emerged to stop it. They were full blooded, very powerful. The humans, having no magic, knew they wouldn't win a fight with the Gaurdians, no matter how much they outnumbered them. So they agreed to stop the hunting, as long as the magical creatures stayed off their land. They refused…refuse to acknowledge anything magical, they prefer to forget about it. That's why Mages, Elementals, Shadowlores, and anything else magical is referred to as The Forgotten."

TK was silent for a few minutes. "So, are they still hostile, even today?"

Katya nodded. "That's why, when we see a town, we should leave your wolves hidden. We don't really want to be noticed. Not yet, anyway. I mean, we _will _have to earn their support when we awaken our full power and stage a revolt against Isan, but until then…"

"I understand. So, how long do you think it will be until we reach a town?"

"It's hard to say. They are spaced so sporadically, you can't really predict where one will be. But, if you keep your scouting wolves on a wide range, we shouldn't miss it. Maybe we'll reach one tonight."

"I hope so," TK sighed. It was going to be another long day.

----------------

As luck would have it, they did see a town that day. It was after they had exited the forest and entered a plains like landscape. They saw the smoke over the hill before they saw the town. As they looked at it from a distance, they decided that it would be as good a place as any to stop. It took some convincing, but they were able to get the wolves to stay outside the town limits.

Now, after 20 minutes of walking, they were reaching the outskirts. The town was anything but empty. There were houses surrounding the main street, and you could hear the people inside talking rather loudly. As they entered the main street, they could see that nearly all of it was comprised of Inns and regular bars. There was also a meat shop, and some closed down fruit stands.

It was twilight when they arrived, so the nightly 'business' was beginning. Young women, and some men too, dressed in almost nothing were beginning to congregate at street corners or go into the various Inns. TK tried to shake those images out of his head as he and Katya headed for a closer Inn.

"Just let me do the talking," Katya told him. TK nodded, he had no argument with that.

They walked into the Inn and found that it was full with men and women, most already drunk. TK scrunched his nose in disgust at their behavior until Katya elbowed him and he schooled his expression.

"There's the owner, come on," Katya said, indicating a man behind the bar. "Hey, you," she said when they were close.

"What do you want?" he asked, rudely.

"Jobs. Looks to me like you're in need of a bartender and a waitress," she noted, looking at the rowdy crowd.

"Got any experience?"

"Nah, but we learn fast. We'll work for supplies too, not money."

"What kinda…supplies?" the man asked suspiciously.

"An extra set of black clothes for each of us, two cloaks, and shoes. Give us those, and we'll work here until 3 tomorrow morning, no breaks," she added to sweeten the deal.

The man laughed a harsh laugh, "Seems to me that I'm getting the better end of the deal. I get 2 workers for nearly a full working day, and all I have to do is train you and give ya some clothes? Fine then, you gotta deal. Plus, I'll let ya keep all the tips ya get. Now Sweetcakes, take this pad of paper and go take some orders. And you," he said, indicating TK, "come back here with me."

TK complied, wondering what job he would get.

"You get to be the bartender. The alcohol's there, it's all labeled. Just throw together whatever they want. There's a recipe list down there that I keep for newbies like you. Read over that and memorize as much as you can. It also has the prices, _those_ you better not screw up. Now, most of the crowd in here is already drunk, but some others will be comin' in soon, so if I were you I'd start memorizing. Remember, don't screw this up kid."

TK watched as the man walked away. It didn't seem to bother the man that they were only 12, actually, he hadn't even asked for their ages. He sighed and looked at the list, he shouldn't be picky, a job was a job after all.

'_Let's see, Angel's Kiss, Apocalypse, Devil's Hand, Hell Strike, …'_ the list went on and on and had a total of about 50 drinks on it. Luckily, TK was a fast learner and had developed a type of photographic memory. It took him just less than an hour to memorize all of the drinks and their prices. Just in time too, for then a new bunch of people came in, all demanding drinks.

TK had faltered the first couple times, but then picked up pretty quickly. He learned fast where all of the alcohols were as well as the glasses and ice. Soon, he was making up drinks as fast as they were ordered. Good thing too, because the people at the tables were ordering as well as the mob at the bar.

About an hour into the rush he heard a loud _thump. _He turned and nearly burst out laughing. Katya was standing smugly over a man who had toppled backwards in his chair. TK figured the poor man had tried to make a move on Katya, the fact that she was 12 made no difference.

TK pondered that last thought. Hiata was really different than Earth, that much had been obvious the first time he had woken up. But he was just now starting to get a sense of how different it was. First was Katya asking if it was uncommon for people to be lovers at 12, then the Nymph ritual, then being able to get jobs at a bar with no questions asked, and now there was a grown man trying to come onto a 12 year old girl. It was way too weird.

"Hey kid! I asked for a Whirlpool, get outta Lala land and make it for me!"

TK grumbled under his breath as he mixed the Russian vodka, Irish cream, and straight brandy. "7 bronze coins, sir," he said politely as he slid the drink across the bar table.

The man grumbled a little about prices being too high before tossing a silver coin at the boy. "Keep the change."

"Thank you," TK replied. He had made another 3 bronze coins extra, making his total tips equal to 2 gold coins. Not bad for his first time bartending.

Katya and TK continued bartending for the rest of the night, as promised, each making another gold coin in tips. Around two-thirty, the bar was empty for the time being, though a new mob would come soon no doubt. Most of the people were just upstairs doing… 'business' with the nightly workers. They would be done soon enough.

As Katya was washing tables and TK was washing cups, a muffled thump and a cry came from upstairs. They paid it no mind, probably a guy was just getting a little…rough. The idea of how this Inn, and most of the rest of Hiata, worked still disgusted TK a little, but he had accepted it fairly quickly.

A few minutes later, the muffled cry came again, accompanied with several thumps. TK and Katya looked at each other. The second time, the cry had sounded…almost like a kid. They shrugged together, maybe they were imagining things. But, then it happened again. TK started slowly towards the stairs, Katya following behind.

They had just reached the first step when a door in a hallway above slammed open and the sound of someone running reached them. What bothered them the most was that it sounded like someone small. They quickly started up the stairs, only to have TK be crashed into by a small blur.

TK fell back a little, but caught himself. He looked down to see what had made him stumble, and what was now attached to his legs. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a mop of dark hair attached to a deathly scared looking kid.

'_It _was _a kid. But, what is he running from?'_

He didn't have to wait long to find out. Out of the same room that the kid had been in a drunk man stumbled out. He noticed the kid and seemed to go into a rage. He ran/stumbled towards the three, anger all over his face. The kid whimpered and buried his face in TK's shirt, holding around his waist tightly.

TK instinctively backed away, pulling the kid with him. The man continued towards them as quickly as he could in his drunken state. TK tried to pull the kid back some more, but the boy was petrified with fear. He reached down quickly and scooped the kid up, receiving little protest.

"Leave the kid alone," he ordered the drunken man, trying to sound more courageous than he felt.

The man laughed roughly. "Just hand 'im over and I won't hurt ya. He's an orphan that belongs ta me, and I'll do with 'im as I like," his voice was slurred greatly, but TK and Katya understood every word, and definitely _didn't _like what this man had implied.

TK passed the whimpering kid to Katya, who held him against her protectively. As far as she was concerned, no kid should ever be treated like this. TK edged her back, standing in front of both of them.

"I'm warning you sir, leave the kid be."

"_You're_ warning _me_?" the man scoffed. "That kid is my property, you can't steal him. Now, last chance, give him back!" he had reached the three now and had grabbed TK's collar, pulling him up.

TK instinctively kicked the man in the leg to get free. The man dropped him, cursing. "Bastard! You'll pay!" he lunged at the blonde boy.

TK jumped out of the way just in time, and the man landed face first on the floor. He spun around to face Katya and grabbed the kid back.

"Get the money and clothes and let's get out of here!"

She nodded and ran behind the bar where all of their tips and the clothes they were to receive were. Shoving the coins in her pocket she grabbed the armfull of clothes and started towards the door.

TK, seeing that she was over halfway there, decided to leave too. He turned, kid still in his arms, but was stopped by the man grabbing his ankle. Then, with lightning speed, the man jumped up and grabbed TK from behind, pressing the kid against TK's chest. The kid yelped in fright.

TK scowled, he had had enough. Closing his eyes, he focused on gathering energy. It took him only seconds. Opening his eyes again and holding the boy closer, he sent a powerful jolt through the man who screamed in pain and let go. He collapsed on the floor clutching his head until his eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed, barely breathing.

TK stared down, appalled. _'I-I could've k-k-killed him, if I had accidently used just a little more energy. What am I becoming that I would use my 'abilities' to hurt someone?'_

He looked down at the kid who was now staring up at him with innocent eyes and a dirty, tear-stained face.

'_It had to be done. Like I had to kill those pixies, I had to hurt that man. I couldn't let him get this boy back. But…what do I do with the kid now?'_

"Takeru! Come on! I have the stuff, we need to leave! We'll take the kid with us to the next town!" Katya called anxiously from the doorway.

TK nodded and started over. He was thankful that the kid wasn't protesting. Once he reached the door, he saw why Katya was so anxious. People were coming into the streets, wondering what was going on. They were heading for the Inn. TK was no expert on Hiataian customs, but he could just geuss how they would handle this; kill the two Gaurdians and give the kid back to the man.

"This way," he said, pulling Katya towards the opposite side of town.

She ran with him, looking back every few minutes at the small group that had decided to pursue them. "What now?!"

"Follow me and don't worry," he said darting down a random side street. /Rage, Tempest! We need a lift out of here now! Can you find us?/

/Yes Takeru,/ the replied, worry in their voices. They had felt that their master was in trouble, but he had ordered them beforehand to stay out of sight _no matter what_. However, they made sure that they knew exactly where he was at all times. Now, they ran to him as fast as they could.

"Are you sure about this?!" Katya asked, some loose hair flying in her face as they darted down yet another street.

"Positive, just trust me and we'll get out just fine," TK replied, tightening his hold on the boy as they ran. _'We just need to evade them for a few more seconds. Just a few more seconds.'_

He kept repeating this thought in his mind as he felt his wolves get closer. They were very close now. "Katya, get ready!"

"For what?!"

"You'll see. Just be ready!"

Katya looked at the back of TK's head as they ran. Just what was he planning? Wait…was he talking about his wolves? Had he sent for them?

Her question was answered as two black forms suddenly appeared beside them. Without thinking and still running, she swung up on Tempest with the bundle of clothes and saw TK swing up onto Rage, boy cradled in one of his arms.

/Let's go!/ he urged the wolves.

They didn't need to be told twice. They put on an extra burst of speed, disappearing before the townspeople rounded the corner.

When they were safely outside the town barriers, the rest of the wolves emerged, forming a protective circle around the traveling party.

/Where shall we go now Takeru?/ Rage asked.

/We shall continue South, we will camp again tonight. Do you think you can travel today again?/

/Yes, we are rested. Tell me Takeru, who is that boy you carry?/

TK looked down at the quiet boy to find that he had fallen asleep, or fainted or something. /Actually, I'm not sure of his name. He is an orphan. We will take him to the next town and find him a proper family. I trust his weight isn't a burden?/

/No, he is very light. I do not mind carrying the both of you./

TK smiled at the wolf mentally before glancing over at Katya who looked troubled about something. "Katya, what's wrong?"

She looked up, surprised, as she was jolted out of her thoughts. "I was just…thinking. About the boy. I prophesized many things that could happen in that town, but this boy was not in any of my visions. It…bothers me."

TK smiled reassuringly at her. "Maybe you're thinking into it too deeply. Perhaps you were just wrong this one time. Or maybe you had so many visions that you missed the one with him in it."

"Maybe," she replied, unconvinced. She had only had 3 visions of what could've happened here, and her visions had never been wrong before. But, the boy was here, so she _must_ have been wrong. Takeru was right, she was probably reading too much into this. She sighed and closed her eyes as Tempest's graceful movement relaxed her.

------------

They rode all day, the boy asleep for all but the last few minutes of it. He hadn't been scared of the wolves as the two children had expected, he had been curious. He had taken to them right away, and they seemed to like him well enough.

/Takeru, there is a small clearing up ahead next to a stream. Shall we camp there? It is sheltered enough./

/Sounds good Frenzy. Let's stop there for the night. We could all use some rest. And this little one could use some food. His stomach's been growling for the past 10 minutes./

Frenzy chuckled a little. /I know, we've all heard it. After we stop, A group of us will go find some food for him./

TK nodded in approval. A minute or so later, they entered the foreseen clearing. It was just the right size for a sheltered camp, plus it had fresh water right there. Katya and TK climbed off the wolves and TK reached up and lifted the boy down. The boy smiled at him before running to play with Revenge.

TK smiled at the two before going to wash his face and hands in the stream. He was dirty from all the smoke and dust that had accumulated in the room. He looked back and saw Katya starting a fire. The boy was playing with both Revenge and Apocalypse now. He inwardly sighed. He couldn't keep calling him 'the boy', he needed to know his name.

Standing up, he went over to the younger child and picked him up. The kid looked at him, surprised, but not unhappy. This stranger had helped him after all. TK carried him over to the stream.

"No offense, little one, but you're filthy. Let's get you out of those dirty clothes." He took off the boy's faded shirt and pants, leaving him in his dark grey boxers.

He placed the child in a shallow part of the stream and began to try to get the dirt off of him with his hands. The boy simply sat and let him. He didn't feel threatened, so he didn't mind. He giggled as TK scrubbed his stomach. TK smiled at him.

"Well, little one, I don't think we've been properly introduced. My name is Takeru, and that is Katya over there. You've already met my wolves. Their names are Rage, Revenge, Midnight, Hysteria, Tempest, Apocalypse, Poison, Dusk, Storm, and Frenzy," he said, pointing to each of them in turn. "Now, why don't you tell me your name? I'll need to know, otherwise I'll have to keep calling you little one, and that's not a fit name, now is it?"

The boy smiled a little. "I don't have a name" he said quietly.

TK blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I've never had a name. The man just called me boy."

TK frowned. "Well, we'll have to fix that, now won't we? What would you like your name to be?"

"I don't know of any good names. You can pick one for me."

"Alright," TK said thoughtfully. "Well…how about Akio? It means 'bright boy.' Or Kiyoshi, it means 'quiet.'Or, I'm sure we could think of others too."

The boy was silent for a minute, "I like Akio, can that be my name?"

"Of course, and if you think of a name that you like better, it's not too late to change it."

The boy shook his head. "I like Akio. It reminds be of a nice lady who always used to call me a bright boy. Then she moved away."

"Oh, well I'm sure you'll meet her again one day." He stood up and grabbed one of the cloaks from the pile of clothes that Katya had placed near him. He wrapped Akio in it. "That's as clean as I can get you right now, but come on, Hysteria caught you a rabbit, and I think Katya's done cooking it. I'll wash your clothes in a second."

"I've never had a rabbit, I wonder what it tastes like," Akio said excitedly as he took TK's hand and pulled him towards the fire.

TK smiled, he was going to miss this boy when they had to leave him in the next town.

----------------

"Did you make sure they found the boy?" a gravely voice asked.

"Yes," a honey sweet voice answered, "They have found the first key to our dominance, and though none of them realize it yet, they will deliver him into our hands so that we may use him to take our much deserved control over Hiata."

"And what of the Elementals? Have they found their key yet?"

"No, but they will soon enough. Fate dictates it. And before long, both will be in our possession so that we may sacrifice them to unlock our new powerful magic."

A gravely laugh sounded. "Finally, after countless generations of failure, we will finally succeed. I will be supreme ruler of Hiata, and you will be my queen fair lady. Just make sure that everything keeps running smoothly."

"Oh, I will," the woman answered, viewing the children with her magic portal again. "By the time we need them, they will be the perfect warriors, totally obedient and very deadly. Be assured of that." She began to chuckle softly as she watched the four Gaurdians who were completely oblivious. They had no idea what was in store for them. And that suited her just fine.

A/N: If you liked it and want me to write more, let me know. It will probably take me a couple days to post the next chap. Until then. Adios!


	8. Miyo, the Caelon, and Paradise

Disclaimer: Two words: I. Wish.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I decided to go with the alternating chap. thing because it will make the story flow better, I think. Just forewarning, nothing very exciting happens in this chap, it's the next one that'll have a bit more action. Anyway, on with the story.

Kari closed her eyes and let the gentle breeze blow across her face. Behind her, Hiroki sat too, enjoying the scenery of the lush fields below.

It had been just under five weeks since they four children had split up, and Kari was missing TK and Katya more and more every day. She hadn't known Katya for very long, but she seemed to be a nice enough girl.

Over the past 33 days, Hiroki and she had only come upon three towns, and a small ones at that. They had gotten jobs at taverns in all three towns, waitressing and bartending. Kari had learned that taverns and Inns were pretty much the only places that hired outsiders, so they would probably be spending a lot of time in those kinds of places.

'_Great,' _she had thought sarcastically when he said that. _'As if three nights of those drunken horny men wasn't enough.'_

They had been paid well each time though, and had bought some extra clothes, boots, and a little bread with their money. They hadn't stayed more than one night in each place, as they weren't sure that they wanted to be noticed just yet.

-You're very quiet Hikari, are you well?-

Kari smiled and ran a hand over Whisper's feathers. –Yes Whisper, I am well. Daylight is almost gone however, we should find a place to camp.-

-You're right. What about that cave over there? It seems protected.-

-That's fine Whisper. You can take us there and take a well deserved nap.-

Whisper whistled in agreement before beginning a slow descent.

"Are we camping already?" Hiroki asked.

Kari nodded, turning to face him. "Yeah. I figure that we won't find another safe place before the sun sets, we might as well just stop an hour early. Is that alright?"

Hiroki shrugged. "Sure. I was getting tired of riding this big pigeon anyway."

Whisper whistled offendedly and shot up and then downwards sharply, tossing Hiroki around while Kari stayed put. Hiroki landed sprawled on his stomach, very unceremoniously. Kari tried to control herself, but couldn't keep from laughing.

"Well," she replied, still chuckling, "You _did_ deserve that, you know?"

Hiroki sighed and pushed himself up. "I was _kidding_. Geez, can't girls take jokes?" he asked exasperatedly as they landed. He slid off Whisper and walked into the cave, quickly starting a fire. Kari thanked Whisper for the ride and urged her to go get something to eat before entering the cave as well. It wasn't clean and homely, but it would have to do.

She sighed as she plopped down near the fire. She _really _missed TK, he was her best friend, and he had always been with her when they were camping in the Digital World. Sure, Hiroki was great, but it wasn't the same. TK knew everything about her, while Hiroki was still just starting to learn.

"What're you thinking about?" Hiroki asked absently from across the fire.

Kari looked up, surprised at the sudden interuption. "Just about TK."

"Who?"

Kari blinked, she had never talked about TK with him, but he should still remember. "TK…oh wait, you know him as Takeru."

"Oh, him. He's your lover, right?"

Kari blushed until she was as red as a tomato. "Are you crazy?! We're just friends! And even if we weren't, 12 is way to young to be…_lovers_!"

Hiroki looked at her strangely. "That's the usual age around here. But, I suppose Earth culture is different than Hiataian culture, no?"

"Yeah," Kari replied, still blushing, "_very _different."

"I think it would be interesting to visit your Earth. Perhaps, the 4 of us could go there some day, if we can find a way."

"That'd be neat," Kari agreed, "I could show you all the different kinds of technology that we have there, and you could meet my brother and parents, I think it'd be great fun. If we ever get back," she added in an undertone.

Hiroki walked around the fire and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think like that, Hikari, you'll get back. With all the magic in Hiata, there's bound to be a way."

Kari smiled at him. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I'm ju-"

She cut off as a high-pitched scream filled the air. It sounded like a little girl. She screamed again. Kari and Hiroki scrambled up and headed towards the cave entrance.

-Whisper, what is that?! _Who_ is that?-

-I'm not sure. But she sounds like she's in trouble.-

Thinking quickly, Kari clambered gracefully onto Whisper, followed closely by Hiroki.

-Whoever it is, we have to help her. Fly up Whisper, so we can see better.-

-Yes Hikari- Whisper replied, taking off. It took only four flaps of her great wings to place them about 35 feet above the landscape.

-Do you see anything Whisper?- Kari asked as she frantically looked around for any sign of movement. It was twilight, so she couldn't see that much.

-No Hikari, but…I can hear movement from about 75 yards ahead of us.-

-Fly us there- Kari urged, she had a gut feeling that the little girl really needed help. She cringed as the scream came again.

"There Hikari!" Hiroki called out, pointing down.

Kari narrowed her eyes and tried to focus her vision. At first, she couldn't see anything, but then she saw movement. A little girl was running through the meter high grass. And she was being chased by Jackal creatures! They were like large jackals, but they ran on two legs, leaving their razor sharp front claws free to swipe at the girl.

-Whisper, take us down! We have to help her!-

Whisper obeyed, recognizing the urgency. She landed in the path of the Jackal creatures, cutting them off from the girl. The two Elementals on her back slid off and went to retrieve said girl while she took care of the beasts.

Kari ran through the waist high grass with Hiroki by her side, searching for the girl. They saw movement about 10 feet ahead and heard slight panting. Then they heard a small thump and some quiet crying. It took them only seconds to reach the source.

They saw a dark haired girl lying on her side. She was holding her right elbow with her left hand and crying silently. She had her eyes squeezed shut and was shaking. It was obvious that she was deathly afraid.

Kari motioned for Hiroki to stay back for now and she slowly moved towards the girl. When she was close enough, she crouched down and gently reached out a hand to pet the girl's hair. The girl jerked, stared up at her with wide green eyes and whimpered a little.

"It's alright," Kari assured quietly, "We won't hurt you. My name's Hikari and that's Hiroki. We're here to protect you from those beasts. Alright?"

The girl was silent for a minute more, looking first at Kari and then at Hiroki. Then she sniffled and held her scraped elbow up towards Kari. Kari smiled and took the girl's arm. She tore a strip off of her skirt and wrapped it around the damaged skin.

"There now, it's just a scrape. It'll be better in a couple of days."

-Hikari! There are too many! I can't hold them off for much longer, you have to run!-

Kari's head jerked up at Whisper's exclamation. -What about you?-

-They can't kill me, I'll be fine and I'll find you again soon. Go, now!-

Kari nodded sadly, before turning to Hiroki, face serious. "We need to leave, _now_."

Hiroki looked at her strangely for a second until her meaning sunk in. "Oh shoot!" he exclaimed looking back towards where the Jackals had started wearing Whisper down.

Kari grabbed the girl in one arm and used the other hand to pull him the opposite direction. "She'll be alright, right now we have to go!"

Hiroki nodded and the two began to run. They seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.

Daring a glance back, Kari saw that a few of the Jackals had begun to pursue them.

'_Faster!' _she urged herself, though she knew she could run no faster, especially carrying the girl. The Jackals, having no such burden and being naturally faster, were catching up quickly.

She shot Hiroki a desperate look that he returned. With no Whisper, they had no way to escape. Kari looked behind again and yelped as a Jackal launched itself towards her. It came within just a few inches before it was blasted away, screeching. She saw that its fur had been badly burned, and upon looking at Hiroki, she saw that he had another fireball ready to go.

She sighed in relief. She was still so unused to these powers that it never occurred to her to use them to protect herself. Shifting the girl onto her hip she created a ball of wind in one of her hands and shot it at the chest of the next Jackal who leaped towards them. It was effectively knocked away.

She felt the girl tighten her hold on her shoulder and she, in turn, tightened her arm around the girl's waist, all the while blasting away any Jackals that tried to get them. However, she was getting exhausted, she knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. And looking at Hiroki, she guessed that he was feeling the same exhaustion.

The Jackals also seemed to be able to sense this as they began to attack with more energy yet again. Kari and Hiroki desperately fired at them, each fireball or windball a little weaker than the last. The girl seemed to be getting heavier and heavier in Kari's grasp. Kari suddenly got so weak that she had to sink to one knee. The girl shrieked, scared that something worse would happen now, and Kari forced herself to stay conscious and to keep blasting the Jackals.

She saw Hiroki sink down next to her, weakness in his face, but determination in his eyes. However, they were losing hope with every passing minute. No matter how much they tried, both Elementals were getting weaker while the Jackals seemed to be getting more enthusiastic in their attacks. They wouldn't be able to hold them off much longer.

One of the largest Jackals launched itself yet again at Kari, only this time, the Wind Elemental couldn't find the strength to fight back. Next to her, Hiroki saw the Jackal as well, but had the same problem. Kari was scared out of her wits, but instinctively turned so that her back was to the Jackal and the girl was turned away.

Suddenly, something amazing happened, but it was something that neither Kari or Hiroki saw. The girl's green eyes _glowed_. Just for a second, but it was enough. The Jackals froze in place before they were literally blown apart.

Kari and Hiroki looked up, wondering what had happened. Kari resisted the urge to vomit as she saw the bloody remains of the Jackals. She automatically pushed the girl's head into her shoulder so that she wouldn't see. Next to her, Hiroki had paled quite a bit too.

"Wh-what the hell just happened?" he asked breathlessly.

Kari shook her head, unable to form words. She looked at the girl in her arms, who, amazingly, was now asleep. Had this small girl had something to do with it? '_Impossible,'_ she told herself, _'This girl can't be more than 5. How would she have anything to do with this?'_

After dismissing that idea, Kari decided that they needed to get back to Whisper and get out of here, just in case the Jackals had any… friends that might come avenge their deaths. But as she tried to get up, she realized that she literally couldn't move her legs because she was so tired. Hiroki seemed to have somewhat of the same problem too, as he could half-stand, but could do nothing else except collapse back down.

Kari vaguely noticed Whisper wobbling over to them before she passed out.

------------

When Kari awoke, she found herself in the most wonderful of places. She was lying on her back, looking up at a clear blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. Some overhanging tree branches blocked part of her view, but they also shaded her face from the bright sun. She rested her eyes again and breathed deeply while listening to the sounds around her. Birds were singing, water was flowing gently, children were laughing. …children! The girl!

Kari's eyes shot open and she jumped up. The girl, where was the girl? And where were Hiroki and Whisper? What had happened after she had fainted? Had they all been alright?

"Peace child," came a soothing male voice. "Your friends are well enough."

Kari spun around and found herself faced with one of the most gorgeous creatures she had ever seen. It was like an…an angel. He had a soft complexion, dusty brown hair, soft brown eyes, and magnificent white wings on his back. They were folded now, but Kari guessed that they were nearly 5 feet wide each. It was…breathtaking to say the least.

The angel chuckled at her apparent wonderousness. "Good morning young Gaurdian. I am Galeo. You had the same reaction to me as your friend did. I suppose neither of you have met any Caelons before."

"Caelons?" Kari asked, trying out the new foreign word.

"We are another branch of the Forgotten, commonly known as the Watchful Angels. We watch over Elementals as well as non-magical people, and help when we can. However, we have no physical form outside of this Paradise, so we can usually just watch until the danger is over. Then, we bring the wounded back here to heal. You and your friend were lucky we found you, you almost killed yourselves by using too much of your energy."

"My friend, Hiroki, he is here as well?"

"Yes," Galeo purred. "He is over in another grove with the girl, would you like me to take you there?"

Kari nodded. "Please. I must see them."

"Follow me."

Galeo led her through a path edged with trees, away from the place where she had woken up. It was a long winding path that had many twists and turns and Kari was thoroughly lost after just a few minutes. The Caelon seemed to know where he was going though, as the trees soon began to thin a little and Kari could see a clearing up ahead. When they emerged, she saw Hiroki sitting on a large rock, the girl climbing on some of the smaller ones a few feet away.

Kari rushed over, "Hiroki!"

Hiroki looked over sharply and a smile came to his face. He jumped off the rock and ran to meet her half-way. Her enveloped her in a crushing hug.

"You're alright! I was so worried, they wouldn't let me see you. They said that you needed to wake up on your own. I was starting to get scared that you'd never wake up," he said quickly.

Kari chuckled. "I'm alright, I was worried about you actually, and her as well," she said, indicating the girl. "What is her name?"

"She doesn't have one," Hiroki replied somewhat sadly. "She said that we should pick one for her. I figured I'd let you, since you're a girl and probably know more about girl names."

Kari smiled thoughtfully as she watched the girl balance on the rocks, not having noticed her yet. "Well…she's such a pretty little girl, what about Miyo? It means 'beautiful child'."

"Miyo? I like it. I bet she will too. Why don't you go ask her? She wants to see you, y'know. She keeps asking about the nice pretty lady who saved her, I don't think she remembers your name."

Kari smiled again before completely releasing Hiroki and walking towards the girl. "Hey there," she said, crouching down when she was close enough.

The girl turned around and squealed before wrapping her arms around Kari's neck. "Lady! You're okay!"

Kari chuckled. "Yeah, but call me Hikari, not lady, okay?"

The girl nodded.

"Now, Hiroki told me that you don't have a name and you think we should pick one out for you. Is that right?"

The girl nodded again.

"Well, how do you feel about the name Miyo? It means 'beautiful child.'"

The girl thought for a second before grinning. "I like it! Yea! I have a name now!"

Kari smiled at the girl's enthusiasm for something as simple as a name before standing up, holding the girl. She turned and for the first time, noticed that the grove they were in was filled with about 7 or 8 grown Caelon and a _lot _of children. All were looking at her, Miyo, and Hiroki.

Kari shifted a bit, uncomfortable with all of the attention. She wished that they would stop looking at her. She saw Galeo come forward, reaching out for her hand. She allowed him to take it and lead her towards the others.

"Wind Elemental, Fire Elemental, and Little Miyo, we Caelon welcome you to our Paradise. We are all that remain of the Caelon race, the eight of us, as well as these children. The grown ones are named Lejio, Carlion, Lexia, Diea, Tahia, Pumio, and Yushio. The little ones will not be named until their coming of age."

Kari bowed her head respecfully. "It is nice to meet you," she said politely to the group of Caelon.

One of the females, Lexia, came forward and raised Kari's chin. "Do not bow your head to us Gaurdian, it is we who should bow to you," she said softly.

As she said this, she and all of the other Caelon, children included, bowed deeply, spreading their white wings and pale arms. Kari and Hiroki were taken aback by this.

"Please, rise," Kari said, somewhat disturbed at the immense respect that they were showing the two Elementals and child.

The Caelons obeyed and looked at her and Hiroki, respect still showing in their eyes.

"Why do you bow to us like that?" Hiroki asked, quietly. "We are merely children." Next to him, Kari nodded in agreement.

"With all due respect, you are wrong my Lord Hiroki. You are two of the Gaurdians. You will be our saviors. You will defeat Isan and all of his evil and allow us to once again flourish. You will save all of Hiata and change it back to the way it was in the Golden Age when magic was accepted and respected," as he spoke, Lejio kept his eyes down, a sign of great respect.

Hiroki was stunned by this answer, as was Kari. The Caelon were treating them as if they were Gods, or at least great nobles, simply because of a Legend that named them the saviors of Hiata. Did these people truly believe that a group of children would deliver this world from evil? And, if so, were there others who thought as they did?

Kari was jerked out of her thoughts by Tahia placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "My Lady Hikari, please come with me. You need to rest and replenish your strength. We have food and bath, as well as warm places to sleep and fresh clothes. Pray, stay with us a while, at least until you are in top health again. When you wish to leave,we will place you back on Hiata, near the next town you were headed for."

Kari smiled at the honey-eyed Caelon. "Thank you. But, please, just call me Hikari. I am nobody's 'Lady'."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that my Lady. Calling you by your given name alone would give the impression that I think of myself as your equal or better, and I know that I am not," she stopped Kari's protests with an explanation. "It is the way of my people. Please understand my Lady, I do not wish to disobey, but it is my culture. And our culture is all we have left. Please, do not make us give up our ways my Lady."

Kari's eyes softened. "I would never dream of asking you to give up your culture, or anything else. It is just…odd to be treated with such respect."

"I'm sure you'll adapt fairly quickly, my Lady. Come now, bring the child and we will settle you both in. My Lord Hiroki will be taken by Carlion to the men's quarters. We will take great care of you while you are here, and will be watching you every day after you leave."

"I thank you for your hospitality and openess," she took Tahia's hand, "And I believe that we would be honored to stay here for a little while at least." She looked towards Hiroki who nodded his agreement.

Virtually all of the Caelon faces lit up as they agreed to stay, and all three travelers were hurriedly escorted to separate places within the Paradise to be given all the luxuries of home and many more.

-------------------

Kari sighed contentedly as she lay back on the soft bed, Miyo nestled against her, asleep. They had been in the Caelon's Paradise for just over two weeks, and it was a great place to be. They were always treated with respect and given anything they asked for, though they didn't ask for much.

Kari had spent much of the time with Tahia, forming a fast friendship. She felt as though she connected with the young Caelon. They would often spend hours by the stream, talking as Miyo played with the Caelon children. Tahia would tell Kari of how it was in the Golden Ages, and why it had so rapidly changed. Kari felt sympathy for these people, for all of Hiata, and wanted to do anything that she could to help them. Whether she believed that she was a true Gaurdian or not, she was going to help these people.

She sighed again, this one less content. To save them, she would have to leave them, leave this place, and go back into unforgiving Hiata. And she would leave Miyo here. The girl had grown on her, and she was very attached, but she wanted Miyo to be safe, and this seemed to be the safest place that they had been too. Even hard-to-please Whisper, who had been kept in a different grove, agreed that this place was a virtual heaven.

Kari looked down as Miyo shifted closer to her subconsciously. She hadn't told the girl of her decision, and hoped that she wouldn't take it the wrong way. It wasn't that Kari didn't want her around, it was that she wanted her to live a safe and happy life.

She looked up as the door to her room opened. It was Hiroki. He crept over quietly and sat on the bed, softly petting Miyo's head. The girl had grown on him too. He sighed and looked at Kari.

"I think we need to leave," he said almost regretfully. "We cannot help the Caelon, or anyone, if we stay here in Paradise. We have a role to fulfill elsewhere."

Kari nodded. "I was thinking that too. And…I think we should leave Miyo here so she can be safe and happy."

Hiroki nodded sadly. "I'm gonna miss her, but it is for the best. Have you told her yet?"

Kari shook her head. "No, I think I'll tell her tomorrow though."

"And we will leave tomorrow too?"

Kari nodded. "I think it's for the best."

Hiroki didn't say anything, but he shifted so that he was lying down next to Miyo and Kari. "Do you mind if I stay in here tonight? The runt's grown on me, and I want to spend at least a little more time with her."

"She's not a runt," Kari cooed, stroking Miyo's soft hair. "But you can stay in here if you want."

Hiroki smiled and shifted so that his head was lying on his arm. He saw Kari drift to sleep, and gradually, he did too.

---------------

"But I wanna come with you!" Miyo exclaimed, near tears.

"It's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt. Please try to understand," Kari replied softly, trying not to cry as well.

"No! I'm coming too! I wanna stay with you!"

Hiroki sighed sadly. "Miyo, listen-"

"No! You listen! I've never had a family, and you're the closest I got! You can't abandon me! Please!" Miyo had tears streaking down her face now. "I wanna go with you, I _need _to go with you! Why won't you take me?!" Miyo finally broke down sobbing and Lexia gathered the child up, rocking her and cooing to her.

Kari motioned for Hiroki to follow her. She now had tears brimming in her own eyes. When they were a few feet away, she turned to Hiroki.

"I just don't know if I can bear to leave her here. She called us her family, and how would you feel if you were just left somewhere by people you considered your family? We saved her Hiroki, we can't just abandon her now. She's our responsibility."

Hiroki nodded. "I know. We can't leave her with the Caelon, she doesn't belong. I…I have a gut feeling that she belongs with us."

Kari nodded too. "So, we take her with us?"

"Yeah," Hiroki replied softly, "We take her with us."

Kari smiled and blinked back her tears of joy as she hurried back over to Miyo. She was so glad that she wouldn't have to part with the child who she had grown to love as a little sister over the past 2 weeks. She took the girl from Lexia and held her tightly. Soon, Miyo stopped sobbing and just sniffled every so often.

"Miyo, are you absolutely sure that you don't want to stay here?" she asked quietly.

Miyo nodded, still sure that she was to be left here anyway.

"Well…then I guess you're coming with us, if that's alright with you."

Miyo looked up, unbelievingly into Kari's eyes. When she found no deception, she flung her arms around Kari. "You m-mean it?"

"Of course," Kari replied, "After all, who are we to break up a family?"

Miyo smiled first at Kari and then at Hiroki, and the two knew that they had made the right choice. All of the Caelon knew it too.

Hiroki turned to Galeo. "I think it's time that we go. We still have a long way to go before we can fulfill our part of the Legend."

Galeo nodded and led them to another grove where Whisper was. The full group of Caelon trailed behind. They watched as the three mounted the great bird and they watched as Galeo pulled out a blue glowing stone.

Placing this on the ground, he stepped back, muttered something, and motioned with his hands. The four travelers watched in amazement as the stone began to glow brighter and bigger until a portal literally materialized a few yards in front of them.

"Go now, Gaurdians. We wish you luck, and we shall watch your journey with much interest." He bowed deeply again and all of the other Caelon followed suit.

Kari looked at them once more before turining back towards the portal. –Are you ready Whisper?-

-Yes Hikari.-

-Then go.-

With these words of encouragement, Whisper took flight and soared through the portal at a daring speed, leaving the Caelon and their Paradise behind. The trip through the portal was very odd. It felt like they were suspended in time, just floating there, in a void. And then, they were out in the landscape of Hiata which they had left. Only now, they could see a town in the distance.

They turned as the portal shrank and said a silent thank you to the gracious Caelon. They had no doubt that they would be dead if it hadn't been for the Watchful Angels. They owed them their lives, and planned to repay the debt by accomplishing what they had been called upon to do.

With new enthusiasm, they landed and the three humans headed for the next town, eager to see what lay ahead in their futures. If there had been any doubt in their minds that they would succeed on this mission, it had been banished by the kind Caelons. They now knew that they could not fail. The fate of an entire world depended on them, and now that they had seen some of the fairer creatures of the world, they were determined to win.

-----------------------

"Things are going even better than we had planned," a raspy female voice said. "The Gaurdians are becoming attached to the Keys, and therefore, they will be easy to manipulate."

"Do not get ahead of yourself," said a gravely male voice. "We cannot underestimate these children."

"Don't be so negative, old man," a defiant female voice exclaimed. "They are merely children, we are great Magical Beings. What threat could they possibly pose to us?"

"They are the Gaurdians," the old man answered. "And you should not take them so lightly."

The defiant female scoffed. "They will not be so high and mighty after my forces take a shot at them."

"Then go ahead," came a second male voice, slightly younger sounding. "We shall use your forces to test them. I think it will be quite entertaining. It will also let us judge just how attached they are to those Keys, and to each other."

"Well, old man? What say you?" the defiant female asked, liking that idea.

The chamber was silent for a minute. "I say, go ahead," the old man said. "The data we collect will be useful in the future. And besides, maybe it will keep you occupied and away from me for a while at least."

The defiant female snorted at that but the old man ignored her.

"Go now," he ordered with a wave of his hand. "Choose which you will test and proceed. The rest of us will stay here and plan our next move. Well? What are you waiting for?"

The defiant female smiled maliciously. "I think I shall test the Mages. They seem to be so much fun," she looked at the Mages and her smile grew. "Yes, I think they will be very fun indeed."

A/N: Sorry that this chap's a little short, I couldn't think of a way to continue it and still have it be...decent. Let me know if you have any questions, andI would really appreciate ideas for magical creatures. If you have any ideas, just give a description and possibly a name. I would _really _appreciate it. Thanks in advance! And I'll try to get the next chap up in a couple of days.


	9. Tejuku

Disclaimer: Do not own Digimon

A/N: FanFanFan: Thanks for the idea of a shapeshifting humaniod, it'll probably be used in the next chap. Anyway, this chap. does have more action than the last one, and it is longer too. I hope you enjoy it.

"Wake up Papa!" Akio cried, jumping on TK's stomach.

TK groaned and opened his eyes. He smiled at the boy sitting on him. For some reason, Akio never called them by their real names, he had just called them 'Papa' and 'Mama' from the very beginning. It wasn't that they really minded, it was just odd to be considered a parent by a 5-year-old when you yourself were only about 12½ years old.

"Come on Papa! Get up!" Akio said, bouncing a bit. "Mama says we have to go!"

TK looked over at Katya who was snickering. "Figures she'd have something to do with this," he grumbled, sitting up. Akio still stayed in his lap.

"Okay kid, off. I'll be ready in a second, go play with the wolves for a bit, but first, tell Ka-uh…Mama that I want to talk to her, alright?" he _still _wasn't used to having to call Katya 'Mama' around Akio.

"Okay," the little boy replied, happily going towards the wolves and Katya.

TK stood up and brushed himself off. When he looked up, Katya was in front of him.

"You wanted to talk?" she asked innocently.

TK nodded. "It's about Akio. See, we keep saying that we're going to get him a proper family in the next town, but we've passed 5 towns and always found something wrong, some reason that we can't leave him there. I mean, I don't want to get rid of him, he's really grown on me, but this is no life for a 5-year-old. We travel aimlessly everyday; sure, we have a general idea of where we're going, but not specifics. We've been wandering around for nearly 2 _months_, and we don't know if we're even any closer."

"I know, but…he doesn't _want _to leave. We can't just leave him somewhere he doesn't want to be. That'd be cruel. Besides, he doesn't seem to mind, he likes it with us. He thinks we're his family. After all, he calls us Papa and Mama. There's really no reason that he can't stay with us, right?"

TK sighed as he looked into her pleading eyes. "Katya, it's too _dangerous_. I mean, think about how many times we've been attacked so far."

"But we've won every battle-"

"Up until now," TK interjected, "And some of them we've just barely won. What happens to him if we lose? What then? We're supposed to be the Gaurdians, and that means we'll probably have to do a lot more fighting. Do you really want him to be there, in danger? He may not want to leave, but I bet he doesn't want to see his 'Papa' and 'Mama' _die_ either."

Katya looked at him desperately. Couldn't he see how much this kid had grown on them, how much they had grown on the kid? She knew it would be dangerous, but she had a feeling that they would win whatever battles they needed too, even with Akio. And then, there were her visions.

"Takeru, _listen _to me," she said, placing a hand on each of his shoulders. "I've had many visions about our future, and Akio is in every single vision, save for one. And that one does not end happily for anyone. I think, that we might…need the kid, in order to succeed."

TK sighed, debating. Yes, he wanted to keep the kid with them, but he also wanted the kid to be safe. However, if what Katya said was true, Akio would be anything but safe if they left him somewhere. And there was always the chance that the family he was left with might turn out to be like the drunken man that they had rescued him from.

Katya smiled as she saw his eyes soften, and she knew that her argument had swayed his debating mind. He smiled down at her slightly.

"You make a good argument, you know that?" he sighed, but still had a slight smile. "Well, I suppose we have no choice except to keep the kid with us."

Katya smiled widely as she leaned up and kissed him briefly on the lips. "Thank you," she said, pulling back. "Trust me, we're doing the right thing." With that, she skipped over to Akio to tell him the good news.

TK stood, stunned for a second. That had been his first kiss, and it had been totally unexpected. Not in a bad way though. Actually, it felt very good. Very, very good. He looked down as Akio wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Thank you Papa!"

TK smiled and ruffled the mop of black hair. "Don't mention it kid."

He picked up the boy and headed for the wolves. /Rage, Tempest, are you ready to travel again?/

/Yes Takeru. We are ready/ Tempest answered. /Tell me, will Akio be accompanying us from now on?/

/Yes/ TK replied, climbing up onto Rage and placing Akio in front of him. /Is that a problem?/

/No, of course not,/ replied the blue-eyed wolf. /I am glad. We finally have something that can amuse the boys and keep them out of my fur./

TK chuckled at Tempest's attitude. He had found out right away that she was the saucy one of the bunch. She was also like a mother to everyone in the pack, as well as the three humans.

He looked over as Katya climbed onto Tempest, and blushed slightly. She looked at him with a smile that he returned. He had a feeling that things might be a bit different between them now, but in a good way. In any case, the kiss had been good at least and he would have to…thank her for it later.

Saving that thought for another time, he ordered his wolves to continue their journey south, unaware of the shielded evil following close behind.

--------------------

After a few hours of traveling, the group decided to break for lunch. Katya started a fire while Hysteria, Frenzy, and Dusk went out hunting. Akio was playing with Revenge, Poison, and Apocalypse in the clearing and Midnight and Storm were lying in the middle of camp, near Katya. TK was sitting off to the side, eyes closed.

He had felt…something…all day, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was odd. Sometimes, he could catch a glimmer of some type of evil, but it would be gone the next second. It bothered him. He opened his eyes as Rage's nose nuzzled his shoulder.

/You're troubled./ It wasn't poised as a question.

TK nodded absently petting the great beast who had settled himself down next to the boy. /I can't shake the feeling that we're being followed. I keep feeling glimpses of evil, but then it disappears./ he sighed. /Maybe my powers are becoming unreliable since I stopped training with…with _him_./ he couldn't bring himself to say Isan's name.

Rage growled softly at the thought of the being that had caused his Mage so much pain. He would have ripped the foul Shadowlore to shreds that day, if he hadn't been worried about Takeru's health. Oh well, he figured, he'd get another chance yet. Right now, Takeru needed him.

/I do not think your powers are becoming unreliable, I think Hiata is becoming more corrupt. You probably sense the seeds of evil that are continuously being planted in this land./

TK sighed, /I don't know. It didn't feel like that. It felt like…like another person from what I could tell. A person that equals me in power. A person very similar to me./ he sighed again, glancing wryly at the beast. /It's probably just my imagnation. You're right, I'm sure./ But, if you're wrong…

Though the last thought wasn't voiced, Rage picked up on its meaning. He stood up slowly and stretched. /Come Takeru. You're mind will not be at ease unless we check this out. And if I _am _wrong, not going could prove fatal./

TK stood up as well, but hesitated as he prepared to climb onto the wolf. /Are you sure you're up to it? You've been running for hours. Don't you need to rest for this afternoon's journey?/

Rage shook his great head. /You underestimate my endurance and strength Takeru. I am perfectly fine. Now, let's go. This might not be able to wait./

TK nodded and settled himself on the wolf's back. "We're going to go scout something behind us. We'll be back soon," he called to Katya and Akio, who looked confused, but simply nodded and went back to what they were doing.

Rage started off at a trot like speed back in the direction that they had come from. /Do you sense anything?/

/Nothing yet,/ TK replied, still troubled. /But I swear I felt something here earlier./

Rage inwardly growled, frustrated. He knew the way the Takeru's powers worked, so he knew that their most likely had been a person following them, but he was gone now. Or hidden.

They searched the area for another half an hour and TK was just about to suggest that they go home, when the frantic cries of his wolves reached him. All were yelling at once, and he couldn't quite understand, but he knew they were in trouble.

/Rage, go back to camp now! The others are in trouble!/

Rage wasted no time in turning around and bounding back towards the camp. They hadn't gone that far, but it still took them 5 minutes to get back. TK froze from shock when they reached the campsite.

His wolves lay scattered around, still alive, but badly hurt, and their was no sign of Katya or Akio.

"Katya?! Akio?! Answer me!"

"….Pap-"

TK's head snapped up abrubtly as Akio's cry was muffled. His eyes widened as he saw that Akio was in the hands of a boy TK's age. The boy looked almost identical to TK, save that he had red hair and red eyes. He was holding the boy tightly on top of one dark brown/red coyote. It looked like there were nine other coyotes surrounding that one. TK noticed that another boy was holding Katya on one of the coyotes as well. Her hands were tied in front of her and she looked terrified, as well as worn out.

TK's blood boiled and he was about to order Rage to attack, when the boy stopped him.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't attack if I were you," he said, smiling maliciously as he placed a knife under Akio's chin. The younger boy froze, petrified. "I'd hate to have to hurt him just yet."

"Who are you?" TK asked, fighting to keep both his anger and Rage's under control.

"Me? Well, my name is Tejuku. And I am much more than just another enemy to you."

"What does that mean?" TK spat. "Let them go and explain yourself!"

Tejuku frowned. "You know, you're really in no position to be making demands," he made a shallow cut on Akio's cheek to prove his point.

As soon as he did that, TK's overprotective side took over and he lost it. He ordered Rage to attack, which the wolf did with no argument or hesitation. He too had a bone to pick with this Tejuku.

Tejuku smirked, and sent the eight unridden coyotes to meet the two. TK shot at them with Darkness, anger fueling his energy supply. He managed to severely damage the first few he hit, and significantly damage many after that. Rage also helped by using his massive claws and teeth. The two held nothing back. And in the end, that would be their undoing in this fight.

They did not realize their error until they began to rapidly weaken, however. Rage's movements became sluggish and TK's Dark Energy became less and less powerful. Soon, he was barely scratching the coyotes.

Suddenly, the coyotes retreated. TK looked up wearily and saw that Tejuku was staring at him smugly.

"I warned you not to attack, but you never listen, do you? You will get your friends back, _if _you can find me and defeat me in a duel. I'll be waiting for you, Shadow Mage."

With this, he and his coyotes turned and bolted.

/Rage, follow them! We cannot lose them!/

Rage obeyed, though he was very weak, adrenaline kept him going. But, not for long. After only about 150 yards, the great wolf collapsed.

"Rage!" TK cried outloud, slipping off the beast quickly.

/I am alright, just…tired. Leave me here and follow them if you can./

/But-/

/I will be fine, as will the other wolves, but we must know where they are taking the others. Go if you can!/

TK nodded and began to run after the coyotes. He knew he wouldn't catch them, but perhaps he could keep them in sight long enough to find out where they were going. He legs were burning and his lungs yearned for oxygen, but he would not stop while there was still a chance.

His hopes were dashed as the coyotes bounded over a large mountain-type land feature. However, stubborn as he was, he tried to follow, but only managed to get a few yards before his now bloody hands slipped and he slid/fell back to the base. He landed on his side and found that he didn't have the strength to move again.

'_Katya, Akio, I'm sorry,' _he thought as he succombed to exhaustion and his eyes slowly closed.

---------------------

When TK came to he had a massive headache, not to mention aches in the rest of his body. He was about to let himself drift back asleep when he realized something, he was on a soft matress. That wasn't where he fell asleep. He fell asleep…at the foot of a mountain after chasing Tejuku's coyotes. Tejuku?! Katya, Akio!

With these thoughts he shot straight up and looked around frantically. He was in a large bed with a quilt on top of him, his hands were bandaged, and he was in fresh sleeping clothes. Slowly, he looked around the room. It was stone, with several tapestries on the walls. A large rug covered the floor, and a fire burned in a fireplace across from the bed. He noticed light coming in from a window to the right of him.

Shakily, he flipped the covers back and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Tenatively, he tried to stand up, only to fall back down. He sighed, and was about to try again when a feminine voice floated through the room.

"You're awake! This is great news, wait until I tell your wolves. But you shouldn't be trying to get up yet dear Takeru."

TK looked over at the speaker and found a girl about his age. She was dressed in a flattering black dress and had pinkish hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had a pale complexion and blue eyes somewhat lighter than his own. She walked over and lifted his legs back into the bed before covering him back up. TK just stared for a second, very confused.

"Where am I?" he asked slowly. "Who are you? How did you know my name? And where are my friends?"

"You are in Castle Shuuko. I am Alitea, and I inherited this place from my family just a few years ago. I know your name because Reverend Kelmio recognized you as one of the Gaurdians and told me which you were. As for your wolves, they are down in the courtyard, eager to see you."

"What of my other friends?" TK asked, struggling to stay sitting up.

Alitea forced him to lay back against the pillows before continuing. "I know not of any others. Reverend Kelmio found you and your wolves and transported you here to me. It was not hard, as we are less than a league from where you were found."

TK inwardly sighed. So Katya and Akio were still missing, and this girl had no idea where they were. Maybe he could ask her or this Reverend Kelmio about Tejuku. They had to know _something_. But first…

"Alitea?"

"Yes?"

"Could you send the wolf with deep red eyes to me? His name is Rage. I would go see him, but I do not know if I could manage it." _'And,' _he added silently, _'I can't seem to mentally communicate with him. Maybe he is simply too far away.' _

Alitea smiled and placed a damp rag on his forehead. "Of course. You stay here and I will bring him up."

TK nodded and watched her leave. He hoped she returned with Rage quickly, as he wanted to ask the wolf several questions. He only hoped that the beast would have the answers.

He looked up, relieved, as Alitea opened the door and walked in again, this time followed by an anxious looking Rage.

"I will leave you two alone," she informed them. "I will return later this day with a meal and Reverend Kelmio. He wishes to speak with you." With this, she left, closing the door behind her.

TK smiled as Rage nuzzled him. /We were worried that you would never awaken Takeru./

/How long have I been asleep?/ he asked, scratching Rage behind the ears.

/Near 5 days. You used up a dangerous amount of your energy. You nearly died./ Rage finished guiltily. He should have been there to protect Takeru, but he was too weak.

TK could hear the sadness and guilt in Rage's voice. /Well, I am alright now, and we will find a way to get the others back safe and sound. But first, how are you? How is the pack?/

/We are fine. We healed within a day./

/Good. Now tell me, have you heard anything of Tejuku?/

/Not much Takeru, though we have listened. All we know is that he is waiting for you in his fortress somewhere to the southeast. He has Katya and Akio in his dungeons there./

TK's eyes narrowed at the thought of Katya and Akio in that monster's dungeon. He removed the cloth from his forehead, swung his legs over the side of the bed again, and tried to stand up. He had to use Rage's shoulder to keep from falling.

/Takeru!/ Rage called, alarmed. /You must rest now./

TK stubbornly shook his head. /I have to help them./

Rage used his muzzle to push TK back on to the bed. /If you go in this condition, you will certainly lose the duel. If you want to help them, you must wait until you are well./

TK sighed and accepted that what Rage said was correct, their was no way that he could win in this condition. And the best way to heal was to rest. He placed a hand on the top of Rage's head. /I think…I'm going to go back to sleep now./ he told the red-eyed wolf tiredly, eyes drooping. /Wake me if Alitea or Reverend Kelmio come up./

/Yes Takeru,/ Rage replied, lying on the floor, but keeping his head on the bed and underneath Takeru's hand.

TK smiled weakly at him before descending back into unconsciousness.

------------------

TK was woken up several hours later by a cool hand on his forehead. He could also hear some humming. Forcing his eyes open he saw that Alitea had returned and a man was with her. This man had light brown hair and eyes, and was dressed in a dark outfit and boots. TK assumed that this was the Reverend Kelmio. Looking around, he saw that Rage was gone.

"Where is Rage?" he asked.

Alitea smiled warmly at him. "I sent him down to the rest of the pack. He objected at first, but was eventually convinced to go."

"Oh," TK said, trying to sit up. Alitea saw his struggle and helped prop him up. TK inwardly cursed himself for his weakness.

He looked up as Reverend Kelmio sat in a chair near the bed. "My Lady Alitea," Kelmio said, "I do believe our guest is hungry. Perhaps the servants could fix him something?"

Alitea recognized the dismissal and nodded before leaving. The two sat in silence until TK spoke.

"You are Reverend Kelmio correct? I understand that I owe you my life. Thank you."

Kelmio let a ghost of a smile flicker across his face. "I only but sped your recovery. You would have survived even without my help. You _are_ a Gaurdian after all, very hard to kill."

"How did you know I was a Gaurdian?"

"Oh, I make it my business to know much about the Gaurdians. I also knew your father as well as Katya's mother."

"My father? You mean BlackWolf? I don't know much about him, I'm afraid."

"No one would expect you to. After all, you never met him, but you still might."

TK stared at him. "What are you talking about? BlackWolf is dead, that much I _do_ know."

Kelmio smiled secretively. "That is not for me to tell, but you will find the answer soon enough. Now, Alitea said that you had _other_ friends with you. I assume one is the Light Mage, but who else?"

TK nodded, "You're right, one _is _the Light Mage. The other is a small boy we named Akio. We found him a few weeks back and now he travels with us."

"I see."

"They were taken by a boy named Tejuku. What do you know of him?"

Kelmio got a thoughtful look on his face. "I remember Tejuku well. He has always been under the control of evil, but that is not his doing, it is his father's."

"His father?"

"As your father was named BlackWolf, after his wolves, Tejuku's father was named RedCoyote, after his coyotes."

"So, RedCoyote was a Mage, then?"

Kelmio nodded. "He was the Hell's Fire Mage. His power was very similar to yours, as it should be seeing as how your father and his were twin brothers."

TK's eyes widened. "B-b-brothers?!" he nearly choked on the word. Wait, if BlackWolf and RedCoyote had been brothers, than how was _he _related to Tejuku?

He was about to voice that question, when Kelmio answered it. "You are brothers as well."

TK stared at him in shock. "That's _crazy_. How could I be related to someone like…like that?"

"BlackWolf and RedCoyote were bitter enemies from the time they were 12. RedCoyote was jealous that BlackWolf had been chosen as a Gaurdian, and he had not been. He felt that his powers were just as strong, if not more so. He turned to evil for comfort, and faced off with BlackWolf in the final battle, but was killed. However, he saw BlackWolf create a clone before he died, so he created one too. He wanted to settle his score with his brother one way or another."

"So he decided that Tejuku would fight me to settle his score? As if my destiny wasn't bad enough," he muttered.

"Do not fret Shadow Mage," Kelmio said gently. "Everything will fall into place. Especially after you visit Vorago."

"What can you tell me about Vorago?"

"I cannot tell you anything. I have never been there, and I cannot tell you what I have heard, for you must find out for yourself."

TK sighed. That was not the answer he wanted. "When will I be able to go after Katya and Akio?"

"Patience young one," Kelmio said. "You must rest for at least a week. You really pushed your limit."

"A week! They might not be able to last a week!"

"Tejuku will not harm them, mcuh. He only wishes to fight you, and they are his live bait. Though he may be evil, he is somewhat honorable. They will be released safely after you fight him. And until then, they will be taken care of. I promise you this."

TK looked at Reverned Kelmio, and saw no deception. Maybe he could trust this person. He looked up as the door opened and Alitea returned with a tray. On the tray was a bowl of soup, a piece of bread, and some kind of juice. She placed it on his lap.

"Are you strong enough to eat by yourself, or do you need help?"

"I can do it, thank you," TK replied, sipping the soup. It was very good, and he was ravenous. The two others simply watched him as he ate. Soon he was done. Alitea smiled and took the tray, excusing herself.

Kelmio rose as well. "Sleep now. Once you have rested for a week, I will teach you some basic sword techniques before directing you to where Tejuku is."

TK nodded, too tired to respond with words. He was asleep even before Kelmio left.

--------------------

True to his word, Kelmio taught TK some sword techiniques as soon as the week was up. It wasn't much, but it was enough to help him hold his own against Tejuku. He learned how to defend and attack against several moves, and how to disarm an opponent. He felt confident about meeting Tejuku.

Now, he was ready to leave. He walked down to the courtyard where his wolves were located. He hadn't been able to see or communicate with all of his wolves yet, and he was eager to see them. Reverend Kelmio had said that he couldn't communticate with them unless they were in the same room simply because of the magic of Castle Shuuko. TK didn't like it, but could do nothing about it.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, his wolves swarmed around him, making sure that he was truly alright. None had been allowed to see him since Rage went up the day he woke up. After assuring them that he was fine, he told them of their destination.

/He hides in a fortress to the southeast that is about a 6 hour ride away./ he said. /We leave now, providing that you are well enough./

The wolves all quickly agreed that they were indeed well enough, and TK led them through the halls to a side door that Alitea had shown him. He was just about to exit when Alitea's voice reached him.

"I wish you luck Takeru, and I pray that you and your friends will be safe. I hope to see you back here again. Good-bye young Gaurdian," she said from behind him, still dressed in a black dress and hair still in a ponytail.

"Thank you for your hospitality while I have been here Alitea, and thank you for caring for my wolves and myself. Please thank Reverend Kelmio for me as well. I will be sure to repay you someday. Good-bye," he called, leading his wolves outside.

Once outside TK climbed onto Rage, new sword strapped on his back, and started off towards Tejuku's hold. He didn't care if Tejuku had more training or not, he was going to beat him, for Akio and Katya. He wouldn't hold back. He did not acknowledge Tejuku as his brother, so he would have no problem in giving it his all. He was going to make Tejuku pay if it was the last thing he did.

------------------

"Stay away from him!" Katya shrieked, shaking the bars of her prison. "Leave him alone!"

The man who was holding Akio simply laughed at her weakness and hoisted Akio higher into the air.

"Mama! Mama help!" Akio yelled, terrified. This man was scaring him, he kept pretending to drop him. And he kept saying he was going to hurt his Mama after Tejuku hurt his Papa.

"Stop it!" Katya demanded. "You're scaring him!"

"That's the whole idea, oh mighty Gaurdian," he mocked, knowing full well that she couldn't use her powers due to a numbing stone in the dungeon. He threw Akio up in the air again, catching him when he was just an inch or two above the concrete ground.

Akio yelled in fright again and tears built in the corners of his eyes. He wanted this man to leave him alone. He wanted back with his Mama.

"Enough!" came a powerful voice. It was Tejuku. "Put the kid back," he ordered the man, who did so with no backtalk.

Once Akio was in the cell Katya scooped him up and held him close, whispering soothingly to him while glaring at Tejuku.

Tejuku looked back. "My, my, my, aren't you an ungrateful little wench? I did save your boy from this lackey didn't I?"

"You're the reason we're here in the first place," Katya snapped. "You'll hear no thanks from me."

Tejuku looked amused. "You're wrong. _I'm _not the reason you're here, it's the fault of Takeru. He failed to save you."

"Leave him out of this, he tried his best against your foul tricks. And he _will_ come rescue us!"

"Oh, I do hope so," Tejuku replied, glint in his eyes. "Because then I can run my sword through him and end a 19 year fight. And it will be so pleasurable to watch him die such an agonizing death."

"Leave Papa alone!" Akio yelled, furious at the mean boy.

"Sorry kid," Tejuku said with psuedo-sincerity. "But he and I have a score to settle."

He looked over as another lackey came down the stairs that led to the dungeon. "Report," Tejuku barked.

"He has been sighted. He is mere minutes away, my Lord."

An evil smile came over Tejuku. "Well, much as I hate to leave your _lovely _company, I musn't keep Takeru waiting. It would be oh so rude of me."

"Go to hell," Katya said softly.

"Oh, I've been there, I find it quite nice you know?" he replied cheekily as he walked towards the door. "I must bid you ado lovely wench, but I will see you once again after I kill this nuisance."

Katya and Akio glared at his back as he left. Then Akio turned now worried eyes to Katya. "Will Papa be okay Mama?"

Katya looked down. "I don't know kid, I hope so. We'll just have to wait and see."

"I hate waiting," Akio pouted, lying his head on Katya's shoulder.

"Yeah kid," Katya sighed, smoothing his hair. "Me too."

-----------------

When TK arrived in front of Tejuku's fort he saw that Tejuku and his coyote pack were already waiting. Like himself, Tejuku had a sword and no other weapon. TK dismounted Rage and walked towards his 'brother' slowly stopping when they were only 7 or 8 yards apart.

/Midnight, when the battle starts I want you to go inside and find and free Katya and Akio. Protect them as you would protect me. Understand?/

/Yes Takeru./ Midnight replied.

"Well _brother,_" Tejuku said. "We finally meet in combat. And what a beautiful day for it too," he said, indicating the cloud covered sky and misty surroundings.

"Don't call me brother," TK growled. "You have no right."

"But I am your brother," Tejuku replied, "Though soon I will be an only child. Soon I will avenge my father." He drew his sword slowly.

"And I will avenge mine," TK replied, mimicking Tejuku's movement. "This is your last chance to set Akio and Katya free before I take them back."

"Am I supposed to be scared? Of you?" Tejuku scoffed, causually letting his sword trace through the dust. "I have more training and am much stronger than you will ever be."

"That's your opinion," TK replied, never breaking eye contact.

"Well, allow me to change your mind," Tejuku growled, picking up his sword and launching himself towards TK with lightning speed. At the same time, his coyotes went for TK's wolves.

TK brought his sword up and stopped Tejuku's attack. He pushed the other boy's sword back and took up a defensive position. Tejuku charged again, swinging his sword again and again, trying to weaken his blonde kin.

TK, remembering both Kelmio's lessons and instinct, blocked each blow succesfully, but was not able to go on the attack. Tejuku stopped his attack and dropped back a few feet after nearly 6 or 7 minutes, panting. TK saw this as an opportunity.

This time he charged, sword high. He swung straight down, then from the left, up from the right, and jabbed from the front. Tejuku desperately blocked each attack, wondering how the hell Takeru had gotten so good when he knew he had not picked up a sword before Katya and Akio were kidnapped.

In his mind, TK was wondering the same thing. It seemed to almost be instinctive. He jabbed again before swinging up from the left, across from the right, and straight down again. Tejuku blocked this last swing and the two locked swords. The handles were grinding together, as was the metal, but the two didn't notice.

They were staring into each other's eyes, trying to find a weakness, while trying to overpower the other. However, they seemed to be evenly matched, which was not a good thing. Tejuku decided to go on the offensive first.

He put all of his strength into one final push of his sword to try to force Takeru to drop his sword. It worked, but in the process Tejuku lost his own sword. Both were flung a good 10 feet away.

'_This should have been over before it began!'_ Tejuku seethed. _'Why isn't he dead yet! That's it, enough playing around! It's time to get serious!_'

Tejuku backed a few feet and closed his eyes, arms spread slightly to the side. TK only had a millisecond to wonder what he was doing before some black fire expoded from Tejuku's palms. It went straight towards TK.

TK dodged and decided to use his own powers. He called upon a great force of Dark Energy and shot it at Tejuku. Tejuku blocked and retaliated with his Hell Fire. TK in turn blocked that. This back and forth attacking continued for several minutes.

Both boys then fell back, both panting. TK did a quick mental check of his wolves' progress. The nine out here fighting were equal to the coyotes, and both groups were tiring. Midnight was moving quickly inside the fort, trying to find the two other children. No one was following her, for which TK was thankful.

He turned his attention back to Tejuku as the boy tried to prepare another attack. TK readied his own attack, ready to counter if necessary. Tejuku, breathing heavily, drew on the last of his waning strength. He was going to beat this worthless nobody, no matter what it took.

With a cry of agony at how much energy was flowing through him, he unleased a wave of Hell's Fire at Takeru. TK's eyes widened and he shot his own wave of Dark Energy to block it, biting back his own cry.

The two waves met and time seemed to stand still for a second as the two brothers' eyes met. Then time sped up. The waves twisted around each other, creating a dark spiral in the sky. Dark sparks flashed within. They started at the edge and landed in the middle.

As the boys watched, both shocked for neither had seen anything of the kind before, a large blue-black energy ball formed in the middle. Suddenly it receeded before rapidly expanding, covering the whole general area in a dark light. TK instinctively raised an arm to cover his eyes, but couldn't do much more. He vaguely felt his wolves trying to get to him, but they were too far away. He took the blast head on, as did Tejuku.

He was thrown back over 10 yards, landing hard on his back. He hit his head, but miraculously remained conscious. However, consciousness meant that he could feel the overwhelming pain.

/Takeru!/ came a chorus of wolf voices.

His vision was cloudy, but he managed to make out several wolf faces above him. He struggled to push himself up. He felt a nudge on his back, helping him. He looked back to see Revenge propping him up. He smiled weakly at the wolf and grabbed a handful of fur to help him stand. After a few tries, he was sucessful in standing, as long as he leaned heavily on Revenge.

He looked over towards Tejuku. The boy was conscious too, but seemed to be just as exhausted, if not more so, than TK was. Tejuku was held up by a coyote under each of his arms and could barely lift his head. He did find the strength to glare at TK however, before lifting his eyes to the sky, as if in prayer.

TK looked at him strangely, wondering what he was doing. Then, he too looked up and gasped. In the sky was a figure on a very large _dragon._ From what he could see, it was a lady.

/Rage, can you see who she is?/

Rage focused his vision. /I do not recognize her, but I can tell that she is an Elemental./

/What is her element?/

/I don't know./

TK was startled by Tejuku laughing. "Even if it's not by my hand, you will die today brother, I promise you that!" Tejuku then was hoisted onto one of his coyotes and he bolted away.

'_Like the coward he is,'_ TK thought before turning his attention back to the sky. The dragon was circling now, and he was sure that wasn't a good thing. His eyes widened as the woman raised her hand and power began to surge in her hand. It took her only a millisecond to create a large ball of lightning that she then threw at TK.

His wolves tried desperately to get him out of danger, but even they were not fast enough to escape the immense power surge. TK cried out as it hit him and he lost his grip on Revenge's fur. He fell the few feet to the ground and hit his head yet again. He could still feel the deadly lightning energy running through him, exciting his heart to a dangerous pace. He found that he couldn't stay conscious anymore, actually, he couldn't feel the pain anymore. And he knew that wasn't good.

/Takeru!/ Rage called out weakly, managing to crawl over to the boy. /I am sorry Takeru, I have failed you./

TK weakly placed a hand on the wolf's head. /It's okay….You did your best…That's all I could ask…/ he trailed off as his eyes closed and his hand went limp.

If Rage had had any energy, he would have howled in sorrow, but as it was, he couldn't even move. He knew an Elemental's attacks couldn't kill him, but it had still weakened him. His head swam in guilt as he finally too lost consciousness.

---------------------

Midnight ran through the building quickly. Shortly after the fight started she had managed to slip inside the building unnoticed. However, it was larger than she had thought, and she had yet to find Katya and Akio. She felt that she was getting closer, though.

She loped down the stairs towards where she thought the dungeon would be. She looked into several empty rooms before reaching the bottom. She nudged open the door and inwardly sighed in relief as she saw that it was indeed the dungeon.

She walked in cautiously, watching for any possible attack. She looked in 3 empty cages before her sensitive ears picked up some quiet talking. It was Katya! She quickly went over to the cage where she found Katya holding Akio in the corner. She growled to alert them to her presence. Katya's head shot up and she rushed over.

"Midnight!" she cried recognizing the wolf. Akio leaned in her arms to pet the wolf.

"There are keys over there," Katya said, pointing to a hook on the wall.

Midnight went over and retrieved them. She knew that they needed to hurry so they could go help with the fight. She gave the keys to Katya who quickly unlocked the door. Midnight grabbed her sleeve and pulled her towards the door. Katya took the hint and followed the female wolf quickly.

They had reached the top of the stairs when a large energy burst shook the fort. Katya was thrown off balance and landed on the ground hard. Akio cried out, afraid, and Midnight's knees buckled slightly. It was over seconds after it started.

Katya shakily stood up, only to be knocked down by a second more powerful blast. This one knocked Midnight to the ground as well. Katya held Akio close as the boy trembled from fear.

"Wh-what the hell was that?" Katya whispered, not expecting an answer.

Suddenly Midnight gave an ear peircing howl before darting ahead.

"Midnight! Wait!" Katya called, shooting up and running after her.

She froze when she reached the door. The landscape outside was completely barren, completely destroyed. And Takeru was in the middle of it.

"Takeru!" she cried, darting over.

"Papa!" Akio cried at the same time.

Katya dropped to her knees when she reached him. She placed Akio on the ground and gently rolled him over. Her heart nearly stopped. He was bleeding a _lot_, and his arm looked like it was broken. Her heart _did _skip a beat when she noticed another thing. He wasn't breathing.

"No…Takeru," she whispered, unable to comprehend the fact of him being gone. Next to her, Midnight howled in sorrow as the rest of the wolves were too weak.

Akio approached the body slowly. He shook TK's shoulders. "Papa, wake up," he pleaded. "Please Papa, wake up. Papa wake up!" his voice cracked as TK didn't move despite his frantic shakings and he collapsed on top of the older boy, crying.

Behind him, Katya knew she should do something, but she was in shock. Takeru was gone. He was gone.

A/N: Hey, I ended on a cliffhanger this time. Let me know what you thought, and I'm still looking for creature ideas.Oh, and there is a reason for Akio calling the Mages Mama and Papa, it wasn't just random.'till next time, Ciao!


	10. The Kioshen and Fury

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I've been busy with school and stuff. Besides, I find Kari and Hiroki's adventures a little harder to write and I didn't want to rush it. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Kari sighed happily as she unbraided Miyo's long dark hair. She had just finished another job at an Inn, and was enjoying the peace and relaxation. Hiroki would be done soon too, and then they could all relax together.

Miyo shifted as she played with a doll on the floor. Hikari had bought her the little doll when they had a little extra money, and she loved it. It had red hair and blue eyes and had a nice red dress on. Right now Miyo was busy trying to braid its hair like Hikari had braided hers earlier.

She sighed in frustration as her clumsy 5-year-old hands messed up again. Kari peered over her shoulder and wrapped her arms around to the front.

"Try it like this. See?" she asked, showing Miyo an easier way.

Miyo tried it and it worked. She turned around happily and hugged Kari around the neck. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Kari replied, petting the girl's head. "Now turn around so I can finish your hair."

"Okay." Miyo turned around and resumed fixing her dolly's hair. A few minutes later, she spoke up again.

"Hikari?"

"Yes?" Kari asked, still unbraiding.

"Can I call you Mommy?"

Kari stopped and looked up quickly. She had been caught off guard by the unexpected question. But, as she looked into Miyo's green eyes, the answer easily rolled off her tongue. "Of course you can. May I ask why you want to call me that, though?"

Miyo turned back to face forward so that Kari could continue her unbraiding. "I've never had a Mommy, but you act like one for me. And Hiroki acts like a Daddy. Do you think he'd mind if I called him Daddy?"

Kari smiled. "No, I don't think he'd mind at all. There now, I'm done with your hair. Go wash your face and then straight to bed. We're leaving early tomorrow."

"Okay," Miyo chirped, going over to the wash basin. She picked up a cloth and scrubbed her face with it. When she was satisfied she put the cloth back and jumped onto the bed. She bounced around a few times until Kari came over.

"Okay little one, under the covers now."

"Will you tell me another story?" Miyo asked, obeying. She lay her head back in the middle of the pillow.

Kari smiled. Over the past couple weeks or so she had been telling Miyo of the digital world. She had gotten up to Piedmon by now. "Sure Miyo, but you must go to sleep afterwards."

Miyo nodded, holding her dolly close. "I promise Mommy."

"Alright then. Now, where was I?"

"You just swung across a big gap and Joe and Izzy got turned into keychains."

"Right. Well, it was just Sora, TK, and me, along with our digimon and Gomamon. We thought we had escaped Piedmon when he appeared suddenly. Biyomon digivolved and tried to fight him, but he was too strong. She dedigivolved and was turned into a keychain as well. Sora ran with us for a while until she decided that she needed to distract him so we could get away. She told Gomamon to go with us, but he told her that he was going to stay too.

"She told TK to take care of me, told us to run. We ran for the door, and before we went outside, Sora tossed TK Matt's keychain. Then she was turned into a keychain too, along with Gomamon. When we got outside, we were on a balcony. We thought about climbing down, but it was too high. Then a rope came up out of a basket. We decided we had no choice but to climb that.

"We had gotten a fair distance up when Piedmon cut the rope above me, grabbed TK's ankle, and tried to pull him back down. I grabbed his wrist, even though he told me to let go. I wouldn't though, because he was my friend. Piedmon laughed evilly and cut the rope that was holding us up. We fell towards the ground. It was a very long way. I lost my grip on TK and sreamed because I was so scared. I was sure we were going to die. But then….well, that's a story for another time."

"Mommy!" Miyo pouted. "I wanna know what happens!"

Kari smiled and kissed the little girl's head. "I'll tell you tomorrow night. Now, you promised you'd sleep, remember?"

Miyo nodded, a little more satisfied and snuggled more deeply into the pillows. "Night Mommy," she said through a yawn, eyes closing.

"Good-night, Miyo," Kari replied, dimming the bedside light a little. The rest of the room still had some light, but not enough to keep Miyo awake.

Once she was sure the girl was asleep, Kari rose from the bed and went to go wash her own face. She placed the cloth back when she was done and turned around as she heard the door open. She smiled at Hiroki, who smiled back. Then he looked towards the bed.

"The little runt's asleep then?"

"She's not a runt," Kari replied going over to him. "And she's decided that she's not going to call you Hiroki anymore."

Hiroki blinked. "Then what's she gonna call me?"

"Daddy," she replied simply.

"_Daddy?_"

"Yes. She's never had a family and she wants one. She asked me if she could call me Mommy, and I said yes. Then she asked if you'd mind being called Daddy, and I said you wouldn't."

"Well, I suppose it's alright. She _does_ have my good looks after all."

Kari smacked him lightly on the head. "I don't think I've ever met anyone with a bigger ego than you," _'except maybe my brother,'_ she added silently. She didn't usually talk to Hiroki or Miyo about her other life.

"I'll take that as a complement, thank you."

Kari rolled her eyes. "You're lucky you're cute."

Hiroki beamed. "See, I knew you'd see it my way someday."

Kari smacked him lightly on the head. "Get in bed, oh egotistical one. We leave early tomorrow," she said, going over to the bed and climbing onto the far side of Miyo. She climbed under the covers and pulled the little girl closer. Miyo snuggled against her, not waking.

Hiroki took off his boots, washed his hands, and climbed in too, on the near side of the bed. Kari already had her eyes closed. He found himself staring at her face as he lay in bed. Her skin was flawless and smooth. He had often dreamed of finding a lover that looked like her when he turned 12.

He inwardly smacked himself. What the hell was he thinking? A) she was from a different world with different customs, and B) she wasn't interested in him. If she was, she would have made a move by now. That's how things worked on Hiata. But, then again, she wasn't from Hiata.

He sighed again and closed his eyes. _'Wishful thinking, that's all,'_ he told himself as he drifted to sleep, forcing those thoughts from his mind.

---------------

Later that night, a figure crept silently into the room of the three. It grinned deviously and snaked a closed hand towards Hiroki, as he was the closest. When the hand was close enough, it opened it and a thin layer of powder settled over the boy's face. He breathed it in and choked a bit, but quickly relaxed back to sleep. The other two in the bed didn't stir.

Smiling, the creature placed a hand on Hiroki's shoulder. Its eyes flashed, and both he and the boy disappeared. Minutes later, it reappeared, in Hiroki's form. He climbed back in the bed and stroked the smaller child's cheek. He could feel power radiating from this little one, and he wanted it. But he would have to wait until the red moon tomorrow night, when a sacrifice would turn her power over to him.

Miyo stirred and opened her eyes. Her eyes widened and she scooted back against Kari who instinctively wrapped her arm more tightly around the little girl.

"What's wrong honey?" 'Hiroki' hissed?

"You're not Daddy," Miyo replied in a whisper.

"Don't be silly little one," he replied, pupils glowing red again, staring into her eyes. "Of course I am. Who else would I be?"

Miyo's pupils glowed red for a second and she stared at 'Hiroki'. "But…you don't feel like Daddy."

"It's just your imagination," he replied, placing a finger on her temple. "Now, go to sleep." As he said this, he pressed on her skin lightly and she immediately fell limp.

He smiled. She was more easily manipulated than he had thought. Now he only had to get past the Wind Elemental. He reached over and played with said Elemental's hair, causing her to stir lightly. Manipulating her wouldn't be hard either. Seduction would do the trick. And he was _very_ good at that.

-------------------

Kari blinked as she opened her eyes and was met with sunlight. She looked across and saw Hiroki was gone. Looking down, she saw that Miyo was still asleep.

'_I'll let her sleep for a bit,' _she thought as she gently climbed out of bed and went to the larger washroom.

She walked in, closed the door, and began to fill the basin with water. When it was half- full she turned off the water and bent down to splash some on her face. She jumped as hands wrapped around her waist. She looked around wildly, ready to fight, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw who had her.

"Hiroki? What are you doing?" she asked as his hands remained snuggly around her waist.

"Me? Oh nothing," he replied innocently, leaning his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck gently.

Kari tensed up. Hiroki was acting weird. And it was creeping her out. It was like he was coming on to her, like the guys in the bar. Had he been drinking?

"Hiroki, you're making me uncomfortable. Please stop," she said, trying to gently pry his arms off her.

"Well that's strange," he replied quietly in her ear, "Because _I_ am very comfortable." He tightened his hold, pulling her against him.

"Hiroki," she said warningly. "Let go of me. I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's scaring me. Please, let's just get ready to go and forget this ever happened."

"Well, alright," he replied, slowly withdrawing. As he unwrapped his arms he gently traced across her back with one hand. "See you in a bit."

Kari watched him leave, mind very confused. Hiroki seemed…different, to say the least. Not like his usual kind and considerate self. As she turned back to the basin of water, she silently hoped that it was a one time thing and that he hadn't really changed at all.

When she walked back to the bedroom, she saw 'Hiroki' sitting by the window, watching Miyo play with her doll in the sunlight. He smiled seductively as she walked in. She shifted uncomfortably and immediately went to Miyo, picking her up.

Miyo smiled and snuggled against her. The elder looked at 'Hiroki'.

"Umm…we should…get going. Come on."

'Hiroki' nodded and followed closely. When they were outside, they walked to the edge of town and Kari called for Whisper. The bird arrived seconds later, landing silently and gracefully. Whisper bent down and Kari placed Miyo on the white bird before climbing on herself. 'Hiroki' climbed on next, sitting uncomfortably close to her.

Kari tried to ignore it as she grasped Miyo more tightly and ordered Whisper to fly north. She still had no idea if they were any closer to Pomarius, she couldn't _feel _anything, like Karina had implied that she would. Maybe Hiroki was feeling something.

"Hiroki?"

"Yes?" he purred.

"Umm…do you feel like we're getting any closer?"

"I'm sorry, Hikari, I don't. Maybe we'll feel it tomorrow. But, I could help you feel something else right now," he replied, gently massaging her shoulders.

"Hiroki, stop," she said, scooting forward a bit. This new Hiroki was really freaking her out.

"Alright," he conceded, moving back a bit to give her some space. This might take a little more time than he originally thought.

Kari sighed and settled back.

-Whisper, does Hiroki seem…odd today?-

-Well…a bit. What was it he was doing?-

-N-nothing. It doesn't matter.- Kari replied, not wanting to risk that Whisper would get upset with the Fire Elemental.

Whisper whistled, unconvinced, but let it go.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Miyo?" Kari asked, looking down.

"Will you fix my hair again?"

Kari then realized that she hadn't braided Miyo's hair that morning. "Of course," she said, scooting back so that she could have more room. She unwillingly bumped into Hiroki. He smiled, but didn't move. She smiled back awkwardly and tried to set her mind on the task of combing and braiding Miyo's unruly hair. However, it was very hard to ignore the hands that were lightly tracing her back.

She sighed again. She didn't say anything because he was her very good friend, but she did will him to stop. She decided that, if this kept up, she'd have a talk with him that night, away from Miyo.

'Hiroki' smiled again as he caught her thoughts. Some _alone_ time with her would give him the perfect opportunity to make his final move. He just had to be sure that she didn't resist him.

----------------

"Hiroki, we need to talk. _Alone_." Kari said at camp that night.

She had just finished telling Miyo of the battle with Piedmon, and now that the girl was fast asleep it was time to deal with Hiroki. He had kept making advances the whole day, and wouldn't take the hint to back off. She didn't think she could stand anymore.

'Hiroki' stood slowly. "Alright. Lead the way Hikari."

Kari nodded tartly and began to walk to the east of camp, into some trees. –Whisper, watch Miyo.-

-Yes Hikari.- replied the bird, not concerned for her charge because she thought that Hiroki would take care of her. She didn't know of her Mistress' uncomfortableness around him.

As 'Hiroki' followed, he pulled some more powder from his pocket. He released it inconspicuously into a breeze that blew it back towards Whisper and Miyo. He smiled; there, that part was done.

Kari stopped when they were about 30 feet from camp and turned to face him.

"Listen Hiroki, I don't know what's gotten into you today, but I don't like it. I-"

She was cut off as 'Hiroki' pushed her back against a tree, holding her shoulders.

"Hiro-"

This time she was cut off as his lips covered hers. Her eyes widened and she tried to push him away, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. Pinning her with his weight, 'Hiroki' forced his tongue into her mouth and let his hands begin to roam.

Kari nearly gagged as his tongue explored her mouth, and gave muffled protests as she used her hands to block his. However, it got harder as he seemed to gain more strength.

-Whisper! Whisper help!- she cried frantically, only becoming more panicked when her loyal Spirit Animal didn't answer. Something was wrong, and not just with Hiroki.

Scared out of her wits, she decided to take desperate measures. She closed her eyes, focused her energy, and shot Hiroki away, causing him to hit a tree opposite them. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and breathing heavily from lack of air, she stared over at where Hiroki had landed, and gasped.

Hiroki wasn't Hiroki anymore! He had changed. He was pale now, almost ghostly, and had glowing red pupils amidst pitch black eyes. Black hair clung to his head.

Kari took a shocked step back as her mind tried to process this. "Wh-what are you?" she managed.

The creature smiled deviously and stood up, leaning against a tree casually. "I am a Kioshen. I am a shapeshifter, young Gaurdian."

'_A shapeshifter?' _"Where is the real Hiroki?"

The Kioshen shrugged. "A lot safer than you three are," he said, stepping forward, eyes glowing more brightly.

Kari's mind immediately flashed to Miyo and Whisper. _'I have to help them. I can't let them get hurt.' _With this thought, she turned and darted back in the direction of camp.

"Oh no you don't," the Kioshen growled, running after her quickly.

She fell to the ground with a cry as she was seized by the shoulders and pulled back. She landed hard and the wind was knocked out of her. Dazed, she couldn't move for a second. The next thing she knew, the Kioshen was straddling her waist and her wrists were pinned above her head.

"Let me go!" she grunted, struggling to get him off.

"No can do, sweet Elemental. I have other plans for you," he said, leaning down and brushing her cheek gently with his lips. "But maybe we can have some fun before then, yes?"

"No!" Kari yelled, twisting to try to get away.

The Kioshen leaned back up and shrugged. Keeping her wrists pinned with one hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out some powder. "Maybe you'll see things differently later. Good night, for now."

With that he dropped the powder on her face and she had no choice but to breathe it in. Immediately she felt dizzy and her vision began to fade. As she passed out she saw the Kioshen chuckling as he sat looking down at her.

--------------------

"Ugh," Hiroki groaned, opening his eyes. "Wh-where am I?" he wondered, sitting up.

He put a hand to his head. _'Note to self, don't move too fast,' _he thought as his head began to pound. Looking around curiously, he noted that he was in a pitch black area. _'What the…?' _he thought, sparking up a fireball.

Holding up his hand, he looked around again. The land was completely barren. _Completely._ Confused, he started to walk forward.

'_Where the hell am I? The last thing I remember is going to sleep. Did something happen during the night? And where are Hikari and Miyo? Maybe they're here too. Where ever here is.'_

Holding his hand higher, he continued to walk, searching for…something, _anything_. Anything but the brown rocky ground that surrounded him.

'_Let's see, rock…rock…another rock…bigger rock…rock…ugh! This is _ridiculous_! I have to get out of here! But…where is here?'_

"It is nowhere," came a detached voice.

Hiroki spun around, wildly looking for the speaker. "Hey, who are you? And what do you mean?"

"I am nobody, just a spirit. And you are nowhere with me."

"Stop with the riddles and tell me the plain truth," Hiroki exclaimed, becoming exasperated. "Where am I?"

"You are nowhere….nowhere….nowhere…" the voice echoed, each word quieter than the last, until the voice disappeared.

"Hey! Hey, are you there?"

No answer.

Hiroki sighed. "What did it mean that I'm 'nowhere'?" he muttered. "You can't just be nowhere, you have to be _somewhere_. Unless…unless that somewhere is nowhere, because where you are doesn't exist. That's it! Hiroki, you're a genius!" he exclaimed, shooting up. "An illusion, it must just be an illusion. But…how do I get out?"

He walked around again, searching for the exit that, in all probability, was nowhere too. He sighed as the barren land continued. This could take a while.

-----------------

Kari groaned weakly as she woke up. She felt so weak, so very weak. She felt that her hands were above her head, and she was on a very uncomfortable surface. That was all she could focus on right now, and she debated just letting herself drift back into sweet oblivion.

"Mommy!"

As soon as the cry sounded, all thoughts of going back to sleep left her and her eyes shot open, searching for the small girl. She saw her on the other side of the fire, wrists tied behind her and ankles bound together. She looked terrified.

"Miyo!" Kari cried, trying to get up only to find that her hands were tied to a wooden pole stuck in the ground above her head. Twisting her head, she saw that Whisper was behind the pole, sickly looking, wings bound to her side.

-Whisper!-

Whisper wearily, yet quickly, looked at Kari. –Hikari! I-I'm so sorry. I have failed you. I should have known.-

-There was no way you could have- Kari replied, trying to soothe the great bird.

She jerked as a hand brushed her cheek. "Good. You're awake," the Kioshen said.

She glared at him. "Let them go."

The Kioshen chuckled and knelt down, running a finger over her lips. "You're not in any position to be making demands. For one thing, you're so weak that you can barely move. You can thank my Master's Numbing Stone for that. He lent it to me, and I would have taken it on our little walk if I thought you would have had the guts to attack your 'friend'. Ah well, it made no difference in the long run."

Kari remained silent. That _would _explain the weakness she felt. But, who was this Master? And what did he want with them?

The Kioshen continued talking after a second.

"I knew from the moment I saw you that you'd make a lovely gift. Yes, you and your pet will do quite nicely in your roles as opening sacrifices."

Kari's eyes widened. _'Sacrifices?! What is he talking about?' _

As if able to read her thoughts, he placed a hand under her head and forced her to look up at an angle.

"Do you see that moon?" he asked almost casually.

Kari looked and saw a small red moon, something she had never seen before while in Hiata. She nodded, wanting to get as much information as she could.

"Well, it happens only two times a year, but it is very powerful. If you know the right spells, you can take anything from a person on a Red Moon Night. Anything. And I plan to take that girl's power. Perhaps I'll take your power too, and maybe something else after that," he said, suggestively running his hand down her neck, chest and stomach, stopping just above her waist.

Kari glared again and twisted away, spitting at his face. The Kioshen growled and slapped her. "Fiesty little bitch aren't you? Well, I can fix that."

He stood and walked over to the fire, where the blade of a knife was sitting in the flames. He picked up the knife and went over to Miyo. He grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her over to Kari. Miyo bit her lip to keep from crying out. He threw her at Kari and the girl landed with her head resting on the older girl's stomach. Her small body shook from fear.

"It's alright Miyo," Kari soothed quietly, never taking her eyes off the Rioshen. "It'll be okay."

She felt Miyo nod, though she still shook.

Kari growled at the Kioshen. Nobody got away with terrifying somebody that she cared about. The Kioshen simply chuckled and crouched down, hot knife in his right hand. He carresed her far cheek and placed the broad side of the blade against her other.

She silently hissed at the pain, but made no other move or sound. She heard Miyo whimper and shift.

"Stay still Miyo," she said quietly. The girl hesitantly obeyed.

The Kioshen smiled maliciously, placing the hot blade on a few other parts of her skin. Suddenly, his whole body jerked and he spun around, staring at the moon. It was nearly overhead.

Without a glance towards his two human captives, he rose and walked to the fire again. For the first time, Kari noticed a small clay pot by it. The Kioshen opened the pot, stirred its contents, and carried it over to the girls.

Kneeling down yet again he placed a hand under Kari's head, lifted it up a bit, and placed the edge of the pot to her lips.

"Drink," he said in a commanding tone.

Kari debated refusing, but realized that he might hurt Whisper or Miyo if she did. Hesitantly, she opened her mouth and allowed him to pour some of the thick liquid into it. It had a foul taste, but she forced herself to swallow anyway.

When she had drunk half of the solution, the Kioshen dropped her head and lifted Miyo's, forcing her to drink the rest. Then he dropped Miyo's head and walked back to the fire, putting the empty pot down and placing the blade of the knife back in the fire.

He then picked up a previously hidden pot from its place near the fire. Pulling out a cloth, he opened the jar and dipped the rag into it. When he removed it, it was a deep blue color. Making sure the cloth was dripping wet, he picked up the knife and rubbed the blade with the cloth. When he was satisfied with the blue coating that was now on the blade, he walked back over to the two girls.

Pushing Miyo off of Kari roughly, he sat on the elder girl's stomach, and thoughtfully pressed the blade to her throat. Kari gulped fearfully, but tried to show no weakness. As she stared defiantly up at the Kioshen, she noticed that his eyes seemed vague, out of focus, and his face had a feral look to it. That look scared her more than anything.

As the Kioshen stared up at the moon with the wild look on his face and began to add pressure to the knife, Kari sent out a desperate plea.

'_Hiroki, wherever you are, help us! Help _me_! Please!'_

-----------------------

Hiroki sighed and sat on a large rock. He had wandered for hours it seemed, and could find no way out. This place seemed endless, he wasn't even sure that there _was _as exit. And supposing that an exit did exist, he wouldn't be able to find it on his own. He needed someone to guide him, help him find his way.

But where was he going to find someone in this 'nowhere'? The spirit voice was long gone, not that it had been that much help before anyway. He rested his head on his drawn up knees as he tried to figure a way out of this mess. He jerked in surprise and fell off the rock as another voice entered the void.

'_Hiroki, wherever you are, help us! Help _me_! Please!'_

"Hikari?" he called out hesitantly. It sounded like her, and she sounded like she was in trouble. "Hikari, where are you?" he called a little louder.

'_H-hiroki? You can…hear me?'_

"Yes, yes I can! Keep talking and I'll find you."

'_You have to hurry Hiroki. He's crazy. He's going to sacrifice Whisper and me before hurting Miyo.'_

Hiroki's eyes widened. "Who?! Who is going to do that?"

'_A Kioshen. I don't know his name. Oh Hiroki…you must hurry! Even now he is starting to push the blade into my skin.'_

Hiroki started towards the panicked voice immediately. He had no idea exactly where he was going, but he could feel himself getting closer to Hikari. "Hang on Hikari, and keep talking. I'll find you and stop this Kioshen. I promise."

'_Hiroki, I don't know if you can reach me in time, but you must save Miyo.'_

"Nonsense," Hiroki replied, quickly stepping over even more rocks. "I'll save both of you."

'_Hiroki…he will kill me before you get here…it is just seconds away…but you must promise to save Miyo and take care of her.'_

"Hikari, don't talk like that. …Hikari? Answer me Hikari!" Hiroki moved from a fast jog to an all out run as Hikari's voice stopped.

He continued in the direction from where her voice had last come. He stumbled, but caught himself and continued. _'I'm coming Hikari. Hang on. I will save you. I promise you I will.'_

As his desperation to save Hikari grew, so did the light around him. No longer was the landscaping pitch black, now it was a medium gray. And up ahead in that medium gray, there was a viewing portal. Hiroki's blood boiled as he got closer and could see what was happening.

A boywas sitting on top of Hikari, making various cuts on her skin with a knife that was covered in blue ooze. Next to them Miyo was tied up and crying. Whisper was in the backround, shrieking and tied up as well. The boy slowly moved the blade from Hikari's bare arm and poised the tip above her neck. He raised the blade and began to plunge it down towards the tender skin.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Hiroki cried, reaching the viewing portal and somehow forcing his way through.

He darted straight for the boy and tackled him, causing the knife to implant itself in the ground just a couple inches from Hikari's neck.

"Hiroki!" Kari and Miyo cried out happily.

Hiroki didn't reply, he was too busy fighting. This boy, or Kioshen, or whatever the hell it was, was putting up a good fight.

Hiroki had the upper hand because he had the boy pinned, but that didn't stop the Kioshen from lashing out and landing a couple punches. Hiroki growled in frustration as all of his attacks were blocked. He tried to call upon his fire power to destroy this menace, but couldn't.

"Hiroki! There's a Numbing Stone, you can't use your powers!" Kari called, struggling against her bonds.

Hiroki inwardly swore; well, he would have to do this the old fashioned way then. He aimed another punch at the Kioshen's face, but this one was blocked as well. With a sudden surge of energy, the Kioshen pushed Hiroki off of him and kicked at his ribs.

Hiroki caught the kick and unbalanced the Kioshen, causing him to topple onto his back. Grabbing the fallen knife, Hiroki pounced on the Kioshen, intent on driving the knife through its gut. But he never got the chance.

As soon as he came in contact with the Kioshen, a fierce energy wave knocked him away causing him to land by Miyo, who cried out in concern. He looked up, wondering just who had caused that energy wave, especially since there was a Numbing Stone around. His breath caught as he saw the thing responsible.

It looked like a cloaked person from what he could see, but he could sense that it was something much more. Behind the figure rose a great serpent, fangs bared, ready to strike. And strike it did, though it did not aim for the children. Instead, it aimed for the Kioshen.

A deafening cry filled the air as the serpent's fangs pierced the Kioshen's skin, digging deeply. The three humans and the Spirit Animal could only watch, frozen with horror, as the Kioshen was ripped to shreds, all the while reaching for the figure while calling out the word "Master!" over and over again. But suddenly the cries stopped.

The serpent dropped the few remains of the Kioshen and turned its attention to the children. Head low, it slithered slowly towards them, toying with their fear.

Instinctively, Hiroki pulled Miyo close and scooted back towards Hikari. Trying to be descreet, he untied the younger girl's ankles and began to work on the ropes binding her wrists.

"Miyo, listen to me," he ordered softly, pulling her close. "I want you to run and hide now. You can escape into the woods and find a town."

Miyo shook her head and clung to him more tightly. "I won't leave you and Mommy."

"You must. You must survive."

Miyo shook her head no again, still clinging to him. As Hiroki edged his way back towards Hikari, he tightened his hold on the girl. He hadn't thought that she would actually run, but he had hoped.

As the serpent reached them and reared up Hiroki turned his back to it in order to shield both Hikari and Miyo with his body. He tensed as he heard the serpent move yet again, and as he waited for seemingly inevitable death, he desperately prayed for help. For someone to at least save the other three if it couldn't save him. It was alright if he died, as long as the others were saved.

Because his eyes were clenched shut, he didn't notice his stone flash.

The serpent opened its mouth, the Kioshen's blood still dripping from its fangs, and prepared to strike the pitiful human boy in front of him. Then it would eat the two human girls, and finally the delicious looking white bird.

It began its lightning fast descent only to find massive claws wrapped around its neck, digging deeply. It let out a loud hiss/growl and writhed to try to get away. It suceeded, but only by allowing a large portion of its skin to be torn away. It slithered back to its Master scornfully, dropping something into the figure's hand before retreating behind it..

Hiroki's head shot up as soon as he heard the snake hiss loudly. He heard the sound of flesh being torn away and cautiously turned his head, still holding Miyo to his chest tightly. He fell the rest of the way to the ground from his crouched position in shock.

A large red bird with systematically placed orange feathers stood in front of him, snake blood on its talons. It looked to be about Whisper's size, but a bit more imposing because of the fiery coloring. It spread its wings and shrieked angrily at both the snake and the figure in front of it. The snake hissed, but the figure did nothing.

The standoff continued for a few more seconds until the figure turned and began to walk away with no explanation whatsoever. The snake slithered after it. The great red bird made as if to follow them, but then thought better of it. It turned around and approached the three humans slowly, cocking its head to the side.

Hiroki shrank back some more as Miyo curled against him. Even though this bird had helped them, it was still frightening, and it could still be a possible enemy. Behind them, Kari struggled with her bonds again. When the bird was just a few feet from them, it dipped its head it front of Hiroki and cooed nonthreateningly.

""Be not afraid Master Hiroki. Harming you is the last thing I would do. I am Fury, and I am here to protect you.""

""F-Fury? What are you? Are you a…a Spirit Animal?""

""Yes, I am your Spirit Animal, a phoenix, Master Hiroki.""

""Just Hiroki please, I don't like to be called 'Master'.""

""As you wish"" Fury replied, nuzzling Miyo as she reached out to him.

Confident that Miyo was safe with Fury, Hiroki spun around and worked at the ropes binding Hikari. As soon as they were undone, Kari jumped up and hugged him

"I was so afraid I'd never see you again! We didn't know what that Kioshen had done with you! I was so scared!" she cried, latching onto him.

"It's alright Hikari," he replied, smoothing her hair to calm her. He hadn't ever seen her this upset before.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Fury snapping the ropes binding Whisper. The poor white bird looked in no condition to go anywhere else tonight.

"Hikari? Why don't we just stay here tonight? I think we could all use a little rest," he said, lying down.

Kari nodded and laid down as well, resting her head on his shoulder. She had really been shaken up by this whole thing, especially when she wasn't sure if she would ever see her friend again. She smiled as Miyo came and curled up inbetween them. The little girl was asleep almost instantly, tired from today's trauma. Kari was ready to sleep too, but remembered that there was one more thing she had to do before then.

Propping herself on one elbow, she looked down at Hiroki. He looked so cute lying there, she thought.

"Hey, Hiroki?" she called quietly.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Yeah?"

She leaned down and kissed him on the lips. She didn't pull away for nearly 30 seconds.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving us," she said quietly, smiling. "I'm glad you came back."

She then laid her head back down on Hiroki's shoulder, pretending not to notice the shocked yet pleased look on his face. Hiroki stayed frozen, shocked, for about another minute before he collected his wits.

"You're welcome," he replied quietly. "And with a thank you like that, I'd do it a million times again," he added, his old charm returning.

Kari couldn't help but smile as she drifted to sleep. She was sure that she would have pleasant dreams that night. And she was sure that Hiroki would too.

A/N: Feedback would really be appreciated, no flames though. Also, I'm still looking for ideas for magical creatures, so if you have any, let me know. I'll try to post the next chap ASAP, if anybody wants me to. Adios!


	11. Death and Life

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Akio sat, staring at his Papa's still body. He had run out of tears minutes ago and now just stared with dead eyes. Behind him, Katya was still sobbing.

'_Why'd you have to leave us Papa?'_ he thought desperately. _'I need you here. Mama needs you here. Oh Papa! Come back! Please, come back! Don't abandon us!' _

He found a fresh wave of tears welling up inside of him and he laid his head on TK's chest again and let the tears slip down his cheeks. He wanted so badly for his Papa to wake up. He didn't deserve to die, he was only protecting the people he cared about.

He needed to come back! He needed to come back!

As this desperate thought passed through Akio's mind over and over again, the most amazing thing happened. But, no one noticed.

Even though Akio's eyelids were clenched shut, his green eyes flashed. A spark of energy traveled from Akio to TK, winding its way through his entire body, just continually circling through his blood stream. Suddenly, it decided to stop at his heart. The organ hadn't beat for nearly half an hour, but the energy still surounded it. It pulsed there, waiting.

Suddenly, also unseen, the stone on TK's arm reacted to the flash of Akio's eyes and it flashed as well, sending its own energy circling throughout the blonde boy. When it found its way to the other energy surrounding TK's heart, an unexpected reaction occurred.

The two energies met and mixed together; what they created looked like the spiral made when TK and Tejuku's attacks met. However, this spiral wasn't threatening, and it wasn't made to destroy the Shadow Mage. It was made to give him a choice.

Seconds after they collided, the two energies solidified, creating an elongated, black, glowing crystal about the length and width of a pen cap. This crystal seemed to melt _into _TK's heart, where it then lay dormant, indifferently waiting for a choice to be made.

-------------------

TK looked around for the thousandth time as he walked down a long tunnel. He had woken up not long ago, his body in perfect condition. This surprised him, for the last thing he remembered was getting hit by that large energy surge that the lady on the dragon had thrown at him. He _knew _he had been hurt after that. But, when he woke up he was perfectly fine.

He had pushed the thought of why he wasn't hurt to the back of his mind and was now concentrating on where he was presently. It was like no place he had ever seen before. He was traveling down a large hallway that was lit by torches that magically flared up whenever he got close enough. It wasn't so much the magical lighting that was amazing though, but what it revealed.

The tunnel he was in was made entirely of dark crystal, tranluscent black in coloring. And below his feet, he could see gently flowing water, heading the same way that he was. Every once in a while there was a crystal formation, not anything that he could identify, but beautiful nonetheless. Sometimes, flashes showed behind the crystalline structures, but disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

He stopped as a fish swam beneath his feet. He smiled and crouched down, looking at the multi-colored school that now swam beneath him. This place just continued to amaze him. Deciding that he had dallied long enough, he rose and continued down the hallway, wondering if he was ever going to come to the end.

Just as he finished that thought, he found himself in front of a large door. He stepped back, surprised.

'_That wasn't here a second ago, was it?' _

Shaking his head, he hesitantly reached for the doorknob, wondering if he should open it. He didn't have to make the decision though, because the door creaked open of its own accord. He jumped back, spooked.

He glanced through the door, but couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. He started to turn around, figuring that he'd just find another, less creepy, way out, when a voice stopped him.

"There is no other way out my Lord Shadow Mage. Do not be afraid, just step through the black. No harm will come to you, my Lord."

'_That's what they all say,' _TK thought as he slowly stepped back towards the door. _'And that 'my Lord' stuff is really starting to get annoying.'_

He held out his hand hesitantly, to try to feel where he was going since he couldn't see. He blinked and drew back sharply as his hand slipped through something cold and seemed to disappear into the darkness.

"Come now my Lord Shadow Mage. Just step through and everything will be explained."

Deciding he had nothing to lose, TK took a deep breath and stepped towards the imposing darkness. He gasped as his whole body was engulfed in a cold gel-like substance. He continued forward, not exactly sure where he was going. Only a few steps later, he emerged from the blackness and found himself in a large, dimly lit chamber.

It was cool, but not uncomfortably so. It too was made of black translucent crystal as well, and had crystal statues. The statues on the right portrayed angel-like creatures; heads down, arms folded, wings spread. The statues on the left showed horned, demonish creatures with ragged half-spread wings.

These statues lined a marble pathway that led to another doorway of blackness, except this one seemed to have dark energy radiating from it. However, the dark energy felt…good to TK. Feeling drawn, he walked down the marble pathway eyes set on the doorway. He didn't notice the flashes of light all around him.

When he came to the end of the path, he reached out a hand towards the black doorway. He jumped as his wrist was grabbed by slender fingers. Spinning around, he saw a lady figure floating next to him about 2 or 3 inches off the ground.

She had on a light grey dress that split into several parts at the bottom. These parts swirled about her bare feet due to the energy she radiated. Her white hair swirled about her head too, and her white eyes shone in the dim light of the chamber. A white stone attached to a chain around her neck floated up and away from her as well.

"Do not touch that my Lord, unless you truly wish to die," she told him, with a pleasant ring to her voice.

TK's hand went limp and his arm fell by his side as she released his wrist with those words.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where am I?"

The woman smiled. "I am commonly known as the Angel of Death. I protect the gateway to the other side. Currently, you are in the Underworld, the passageway between life and death."

"So…I'm _dead?_" TK asked, somewhat uncomprehendingly.

"Almost, but not quite," was the simple reply.

'_Almost, but not quite? How can you be 'almost, but not quite' dead?' _He was about to ask when he finally noticed one of the balls of flashing light around him. It was radiating a very distressed energy as it floated closer to the portal. With one last bright flash and a cry of agony, it disappeared into the portal. TK stared at the portal, awed, wondering just what kind of power it possessed.

"The power of Death," the Angel answered. "It is enough to scare even the bravest warrior. This whole place is."

"What do you mean?" TK asked, turning back to her. "This place is beautiful."

"To you my Lord," she replied, floating away from the portal slowly, looking at the statues. "The Underworld is different for everyone, and hardly anybody finds it comforting or enjoyable."

"Then why do I?"

"Because you are a Guardian my Lord. More specifically, the Shadow Mage. The powers of Darkness are within your command, so they do not intimidate you. Instead, they help you. That is why you were not frightened, and why you were drawn to the Portal of Death."

"Oh," TK said in understanding. Then he remembered his first question. "What did you mean by saying that I was 'almost, but not quite', dead?"

The Angel turned away from the statues and back to him. "You _did _die, my Lord, but you have not passed on yet. You have been given a most remarkable choice."

"A choice?" TK echoed, following her as she walked past the demon statues towards a corner of the room.

In that corner, a cystal floated, suspended in a purple/black light. The crystal itself was fairly small, and it was glowing and black. The Angel picked up the ball of light holding the crystal and turned to him with it in hand. His breath caught in his throat. It was so beautiful, and he felt the same draw to it as he had felt when he was by the portal of Death, only more intense.

"What is it?" he breathed.

"A Life Force Crystal, my Lord," the Angel of Death replied. "Through circumstances that I cannot reveal, one was created for you. You now have the choice of whether or not you wish to use it."

"What do you mean 'use it'?" TK asked, tearing his eyes from the cystal.

"As I said, you have died, but this crystal will allow you to live again."

TK was silent for a second, thinking. "What's the catch?" he asked. He wasn't a naïve child, he knew that this must come with a price.

The Angel of Death smiled sadly down at him. "The catch is that it will not heal you. You will feel all the pain, and have all the wounds that were inflicted, and may wish that you _had_ died and passed through. Also, part of your soul will always be bound here, you will be at the Portal of Death's bidding. Though it will not ask much, what it _does _ask, you must do."

TK thought again. "Tell me," he started slowly, "what will become of Hiata if I _do_ pass on and cannot complete my part in the Legend of the Guardians?"

"We will all fall, my Lord," she replied truthfully.

TK sighed and closed his eyes for a second. When he reopened them he stared at the Angel of Death with a look of determination. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice then. After all, who am I to sentence Hiata to destruction simply because I do not want to face the pain that awaits me? I will use the crystal Angel of Death, if you show me how."

The Angel of Death smiled softly and handed him the crystal, still suspended in the light. He gasped softly, it felt so wonderful…so invigorating.

"What do I do now?" he asked breathlessly.

"Concentrate, and you will know. But…my Lord?"

"Yes?" he asked, not bothering to try to convince her to stop calling him Lord. He figured he wouldn't be successful.

"You must not tell anyone of your trip here, save for Reverend Kelmio. They must discover on their own."

TK looked up, confused. "But…why can I tell Reverend Kelmio?"

"He is more than he seems, and because of that, you may tell him. I'm afraid I cannot reveal anymore about him to you, not yet anyway."

"It's alright, I understand" TK replied, returning his gaze to the stone. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the crystal in his hand, trying to figure out exactly what he should do with it.

Instinctively, his hands pressed it against his chest, just above his heart. He closed his eyes more tightly as he began to break down his body's barrier. Then, the energy became absorbed into his body, up until the crystal. When the cystal reached his skin and began to be absorbed as well, he gasped and his eyes opened. While he had absorbed energy before, never had he absorbed a solid object. It felt…odd, to say the least.

He could feel his skin melding to allow it to pass and, while it wasn't painful, it didn't feel pleasant. He gasped as it was entirely engulfed into his body and continued to move. It moved to his heart, where it then began to meld into that as well.

TK gasped loudly. _This_ was painful. He saw spots before his eyes and sank to his knees, clutching at his chest and breathing heavily. He felt cool, gentle hands lay him down and brush some damp hair away from his forehead.

"Have a safe journey my Lord, and I wish you good luck for your trying task ahead. I know you will prevail," he heard the Angel of Death whisper before he completely blacked out.

------------------

Katya took several deep breaths and tried to compose herself. Takeru was dead, and she needed to accept that there was nothing she could do about it. She also needed to get Akio away from the body, it couldn't be healthy for him to be here.

She sighed as she looked around. Just what was she going to do with these wolves? She couldn't leave them here, she knew that, but only one was capable of movement. Perhaps she, Akio, and Midnight could camp around here until the wolves healed.

She looked behind her at the fortress and shuddered. She wanted to get away from that place, but she didn't exactly have a choice.

She sighed again and crawled over to Akio. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled his sobbing form off of Takeru. The boy protested just a little before conceding and curling against her, still crying. Katya swallowed and held back her tears as she looked down at the still form of her friend. She leaned down and gave him a brief kiss on his lips.

"Goodbye Takeru," she whispered before trying to force her weak legs to stand.

She had just managed to turn around and start walking back towards the fortress, when a sound stopped her. It was a sharp cough. A sharp _human _cough. From behind her.

She spun around and dropped to the ground hard as she tried to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming.

Takeru's chest was moving…he was breathing….he was alive!

Katya's vision blurred as tears of joy ran down her face. Akio squirmed out of her arms and ran back to Takeru. He carefully gave him a hug, his eyes watery. He shifted slightly as Midnight came to make sure it was real as well. Around them, the other wolves stirred.

Katya was the first to collect herself. While Takeru was alive now, she knew that he was still seriously hurt. She forced herself up and went over to Midnight.

"Midnight," she said, voice sounding slightly weak. "Can you carry him? He needs help."

Midnight bobbed her head in a nod and Katya nodded back. Then the girl bent down, gently moved Akio, and struggled to lift Takeru onto the kneeling Midnight's back. It took her only 2 tries, as adrenaline gave her strength. The boy groaned in pain as he was settled onto the wolf, and Katya cooed comfortingly, female maternal instinct kicking in.

The Light Mage then picked up Akio and tried to decide where to go. She didn't have to make that decision though, because Midnight took off quickly in a distinct direction.

"Midnight?!" she called, confused and slightly worried.

She started to follow as fast as she could, but looked back as her shoulder was bumped. She saw that all of the wolves had somehow managed to get up, and Rage was kneeling by her. She understood that he wanted her to climb on. She hesitated only slightly before complying.

As Rage took off after Midnight, Katya could tell that he was still greatly hurt. His legs shook a bit with exhaustion and he was taking in great heaving breaths. Looking around, Katya could see that all of the other wolves, save Midnight, were in the same condition. She bit her lip in worry as she patted Rage's neck. Just where were these wolves taking them? They seemed to have a specific destination, but she felt clueless. Her powers revealed nothing about their future destination, dense fog clouded her visions.

That cluelessness she felt didn't subside even after hours of riding. She was really worried for the wolves now, she knew that they were pushing themselves too hard, but they wouldn't stop to rest. They knew they couldn't afford to.

She sighed as Akio, now asleep, shifted in her arms. She hoped that, wherever they were going, they would get there soon. She didn't want to encounter any trouble along the way. As soon as that thought left her head, a low, threatening buzz was heard. She inwardly cursed; she just _had _to jinx them, didn't she?

She turned her head towards the buzzing sound and saw a pack of flying creatures that looked like an odd combination of people and insect. The bodies were human, except that the eyes were red and sectioned, and the nails of the hands curled into sharp claw-like things. Also, they all had four transparent fly wings; two on each side.

The wings were what was causing the buzzing. As they got closer, Katya could see the blood lust in their eyes. They were thinking of nothing but feeding now.

"Rage! We have to get out of here!" she called to the wolf below her.

However, even though Rage already realized that, there was really no where to go. They were in a mostly flat area with a small patch of small trees every now and then.

He ordered his pack to the nearest trees, so they could leave the children there and make a stand. When they reached the small grove, Katya slid off Rage, set the now awake Akio down, and went to Takeru's side. She gently pulled him off Midnight and set him on the ground, trying not to agravate any wounds. He still moaned a bit in pain though, and she wondered yet again exactly how badly he was hurt.

She didn't have much time to wonder though, as the bug swarm took the opportunity to attack. Claws extended in front of them, they dove headfirst towards the group.

Tightening her hold on both Akio and Takeru, Katya watched fearfully as the worn out wolves desperately dodged and tried to counterattack. It was clear from the beginning that they were losing. Not only were they out numbered, but the wolves could take no more pressure to their bodies.

After only a few minutes, all of the wolves, Midnight included, were lying on the ground, seemingly dead. Their short, raspy breaths were the only indication that they were still alive.

Katya pushed Akio behind her and stepped in front of Takeru, gulping nervously as she readied her Light energy. She stared down the leader of the bug/human swarm with a determined look though, as she knew that she could not fail.

The standoff continued for a few minutes until, as one, the swarm moved in for the kill.

Katya tried to keep her cool and blasted insect humanoid after insect humanoid away. However, her energy was waning fast, and these creatures seemed almost to have an invisible exoskeleton. Most of her blasts only phased them slightly, they didn't do any real damage.

'_Oh Kami. If anyone can hear me, I need help now! If only I had a pack of Shadow Beasts as well, then I would surely be able to protect these two. Oh WhiteLioness, you must have had a pack in order to destroy the evil 12 years ago, where are they now? Why won't they help me now mother?' _she asked, referring to WhiteLioness as her mother for the first time in her life.

Realizing that expecting an answer was futile, she continued to draw on her strength, the need to protect fueling her if nothing else.

She had just fired another Light blast, when the most surprising thing happened. From behind her, a small blast of dark energy came, merging with her Light and causing an explosion that immediately destroyed two of the beasts.

"Takeru!" Katya gasped, whirling around.

The boy was propped up on his right elbow, weakly holding up his hand, pain written all over his face. Akio was sitting next to him, shocked, and not sure what to do.

Forgetting about the spooked insect creatures for the moment, Katya ran over to him and dropped down, supporting his shoulders and head.

"What are you doing?!" she asked, alarmed. "You don't have any energy to spare!"

Takeru smiled weakly up at her. "I was just buying you time. Look," he said, motioning with his eyes to the east.

Curiously, she turned her head. At first she saw nothing, then several black dots that were coming closer. As they got even closer, she could tell that they were felines of some kind, very large, and there were ten of them.

'_Could these be…my Shadow Beasts?' _she wondered, not quite daring to hope.

She looked back down sharply as Takeru's head lolled against her. He had used up all of his extra energy and was unconscious again. She gently laid him down and returned her attention to the insect creatures that were now looking towards the felines as well.

Katya then saw that they were not just any felines, but very large lionesses. Many were as large as Takeru's wolves. As soon as they were close enough, the largest lioness, one with off-white pearl colored eyes, launched herself at the nearest creature. Sinking her teeth into its neck, she pulled it down and ripped its throat out.

Katya winced at the excessive gore and violence, and pulled Akio over to her, shielding his eyes. He didn't need to see any more death than absolutely necessary.

As she watched, each of the 10 lionesses brought down one or two of the fear frozen insect creatures before the remaining few gathered enough wits to fly up high and flee.

Once the creatures were gone, the lionesses walked over to Katya and bowed their heads.

((Are you well, Mistress?)) the nearest, and largest, one asked.

Katya jumped a little. Takeru had told her of how he communicated with his wolves, but it was still odd.

((Umm…yes, I'm fine. Who are you?))

((I am Star, and those behind me are Mercy, Patience, Dawn, Serenity, Purity, Tranquility, Bliss, Devotion, and Miracle. We are beings created from the Light, Mistress Katya, and we serve you now.))

Katya smiled at the kind lioness' words. ((I thank you for saving us. But, please, just call me Katya.))

((As you wish.))

Katya looked over the battlefield slowly before looking back towards Takeru and Akio.

((Star, my friend Takeru, the Shadow Mage, is hurt badly. His wolves seemed to know where to take him for help, but they are all hurt now. Can you help us?))

Star bobbed her head in a nod. ((Yes, we know where they were headed. We can take you there.))

((But…what about them?)) she asked, gesturing to the wolves.

Star glanced at them as well. ((Half of the pack will stay here and help them recover. They will be well once they feed on the Mosque creature carcasses left from the battle and will follow us shortly. Come now, I shall carry you and the small boy, and Mercy shall carry the Shadow Mage.))

Katya nodded and placed Akio on Star before gently placing Takeru on Mercy. She then climbed behind Akio.

((Let's go Star.))

((Yes Katya)) Star replied, heading off. Mercy, Bliss, Devotion, and Miracle followed.

Katya glanced over concerned as Takeru groaned quietly again.

((How long Star?))

((We will be there soon Katya. Do not worry, he will be alright.))

Katya sighed. ((I hope you're right Star, I really hope you're right.))

--------------

In reality, it took about 2 more hours to reach their destination. Katya looked at the large castle somewhat suspisciously.

((Where are we?))

((Castle Shuuko Katya. It is the home of Lady Alitea and Reverend Kelmio. They will help us.))

((Are you sure we can trust them?)) Katya asked, still not convinced.

((Yes. They helped the Shadow Mage before, and are known to be honorable people.))

((Well, let's go inside then))

Star bobbed her head and started towards the door. When they reached it, Katya dismounted from Star and hesitantly knocked with the large metal knocker. At first, there was nothing, then some footsteps were heard from inside. The door opened to reveal a girl her age with pink hair in a black dress.

The girl's eyes widened as she saw Takeru. She pushed the door open further and gestured them inside.

"What happened?" she asked, getting right down to business.

"He was hurt fighting Tejuku. I don't know the details, I wasn't there. He…he died, I thought, but…then he just came back to life. Please, can you help him?" she pleaded.

Alitea nodded. "Have your lioness follow me. You wait here with the others. Reverend Kelmio will be down shortly."

Katya returned the nod, heeding the no-nonsense tone. ((Mercy, follow this woman and do as she says.))

((Yes Katya.))

As she watched Mercy and Alitea leave, Katya looked around the area that she was in. It was a large courtyard with several potted plants within. There was a small pond off to one side, with a rock garden surrounding it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked a voice.

Katya spun around, caught off guard. Next to her, she saw a tall man with light brown hair and eyes.

The man smiled and bowed his head slightly. "Forgive me. I did not mean to startle you Lady Katya, Light Mage. I am Reverend Kelmio."

"It's nice to meet you," Katya replied, still a little surprised. "How did you know who I was?"

Kelmio waved his hand nonchalantly. "I know many things. Now come, are you hurt?"

"No, Takeru is."

"Ah, yes, I saw him on my way down. He's in quite dreadful shape isn't he? But I can assure you that he'll make a full recovery."

"Why is that?" Katya asked suddenly. "He died, I know he did. How is it that he can make a full recovery?"

Kelmio smiled secretively. "That is something you must find out on your own. No one can tell you. Not Alitea, not myself, and not Takeru. You will understand in time."

Katya nodded but frowned at the ground. She didn't like all this secrecy. She looked up sharply as Reverend Kelmio chuckled suddenly.

"What?" she inquired.

"It's just…you looked so much like your mother just then. She was ever the suspicious and impatient one as well."

"You…you knew my mother?" she asked, shocked.

"Quite well. Would you like me to tell you of her?"

"Please," she practically begged. "I know next to nothing."

"Come sit with me and we will talk," Kelmio replied, heading for a stone bench in the rock garden.

Katya followed eagerly. When they were seated, Reverend Kelmio began to speak.

"Your mother, child, was a very lovely young woman. She was born and bred of the forest, and loved everyone and everything. She tried not to let herself be changed by her duty as a Guardian, but some changes were inevitable."

"Like what?"

"She became hardened from having to fight and kill. She became very serious, no longer as playful as she once had been. But it was her brilliant green eyes that showed how much she had truly changed. They darkened and aged, showing the wisdom of an old woman in the body of a teenager. She understood her duty, knew what she had to do. And she did it without hesitation."

"Sacrificing herself, you mean?" Katya asked sadly. She sighed as Kelmio nodded. "What else can you tell me? What was her name? What did she look like? Things like that."

"Her name, child? No one remembers. Only she knows, but perhaps one day you will be able to find out. As for her appearance, I'm afraid that that is something else you must find out on your own. I can tell you some about her though. As I said, she was a very kind and gentle woman. Selfless, doing all she could to help others and thinking of her own health last. She only made one mistake in her lifetime; she fell in love."

"Love? Why is that a mistake?" Katya asked, entranced.

"If you love, you have a distinctive want and reason to live. It made her question her destiny. Question her choice to give everything for Hiata. But…it worked out in the end."

"Who did she fall in love with? Or, can't you tell me?"

"I can't child, but you will know someday I'm sure," he smiled as she yawned. "Come child. You need to rest. As does the little one over there."

Katya looked over at Akio, who was playing with the 4 lionesses. She could sense Mercy coming back down and the other 5 nearing the castle.

She picked up Akio and followed Kelmio through a corridor and up some stairs. The castle was lavishly furnished, with great tapastries, paintings, and wooden furniture.

Reverend Kelmio looked back at Katya and Akio and smiled at their apparent wonder. He stopped in front of a large door and opened it, revealing a bedroom with a large canopy bed in it.

Katya stepped in and looked around with wonder. She had never seen such a large room! Whole houses in her old Kol village were not as large as this one room. She turned to thank Reverend Kelmio, but he had already gone.

She frowned a bit, but dismissed it and headed for the bed. She saw two pairs of nightclothes laid out, one in her size and one in Akio's. She gently changed the half-asleep Akio into his nightclothes and tucked him in before going to the attached wash room and changing herself. She climbed under the covers and sighed contentedly. She'd see Takeru in the morning, but for right now, this was just fine.

----------------

Out in the hallway, Kelmio smiled slightly as he heard Katya climb into bed. He was glad that she had not pressed to see Takeru that night. He had a feeling he would have enough trouble with visitors soon enough.

He walked down the hall, intent on checking on the lionesses and wolves coming in. He paused by the window, swearing that he heard something. When nothing showed, he shrugged and continued. But then he was sure he heard light footsteps and a rustling sound.

He sighed and turned around. "You can come out now. I know you're there."

He watched as a winged figure stepped from the shadows. He was just slightly taller than the Reverend with large dark feathered wings. His features were hidden by the shadows, but Kelmio knew who it was.

"I should have known you'd find some way out of your confinement," Kelmio said exasperatedly.

"I want to see him," the figure demanded.

"I can't let you do that. There is much more that he must go through before he knows about you."

"He won't see me, but I want to see him. I saw the whole battle through a viewing portal and I want to see him for myself."

Kelmio sighed. "I know what he means to you, being the next Shadow Mage and all, but you can't interfere."

"I won't. I will do nothing but look. If he stirs even a little, I will leave immediately."

Kelmio sighed. This man was stubborn, always had been, and both knew he would win.

"Very well," Kelmio conceeded. "But you'd best keep your word about not interfering."

The man inclined his head in a thank you as Kelmio led him up the stairs and down another hallway. Kelmio opened the door and moved aside to allow the figure in.

"Do not be long," Kelmio warned. "One of his wolves may come up at any time and they must not know either."

The man nodded, eyes locked on the figure on the bed. After Kelmio shut the door, he approached the bed slowly. He looked down at the boy on the bed. The blonde looked worse for wear. He had bruises and cuts all over, and his left arm was splinted, apparently broken. His breathing was raspy and he had a large bump on his head, but no other injuries could be seen.

Hesitantly, the man reached out and brushed some of the blonde hair away. This boy looked so peaceful, innocent, and young, could he possibly be one of the saviors of Hiata? It seemed so unlikely, but the man could feel great power radiating from the little one even now. The man only hoped that the boy was up for the task.

In his sleep, TK sighed and instinctively turned his head more towards the hand that was smoothing his hair. The man smiled slightly and ran a gentle finger over the boy's cheek. He then pulled his hand away, afraid any more contact might wake the younger.

He turned his head sharply as his enhanced hearing picked up soft padded footsteps coming towards the room. He inwardly cursed. It must be one of the wolves. He would have to leave. Oh well, he sighed, he'd be able to observe the boy much more later.

"Sleep well," he said softly as he headed for the window. He opened it and glided out into the moolight, casting one last look at the room before heading back to his home.

---------------

"How could you fail me, you insolent bafoon?!" the defiant woman yelled at the kneeling boy.

"I-I'm sorry Mistress," Tejuku answered, eyes down. "I underestimated him, but I will not fail again."

"You had better not," the woman snarled, "Now get out of my sight you worthless boy!"

Tejuku nodded and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, a middle aged man walked in, scowling at the boy before roughly shoving him to the side. Tejuku held back curses and quietly left.

"I can't believe you let him live," the man said to the woman. "If any of my minions fail, they will not live to regret it."

"While that is a fun option, for us at least, the boy can still be useful to me. I believe that he will defeat the Shadow Mage, as he has more motivation now. He does not like to fail, and this particular failure was the ultimate humiliation. Now he will try even harder to succeed."

The man scoffed. "You are too trusting, you hag. He will betray you if you continue to be this lenient with him."

"That's your opinion," the woman spat back. "And do not try to tell me how I should control my minions, it's not like you know any better. If I might remind you, your minion failed as well."

"At least _my _minion came closer to completing the task than yours did!"

"Are you blind and dumb man? My minion injured the boy greatly, while yours barely even scratched the girl. I think it's clear who is weaker here."

"Take that back you old hag!"

"Enough!" came a gravely male voice. "Save your fighting for later. A most interesting development has occurred. Look," he said, waving his hand and creating a viewing portal.

The man and woman obeyed, and smirked as they saw.

"I believe we could make this work to our advantage, don't you agree? Send out the messenger, I think it's time an alliance was formed," the old man said, smiling maliciously. It was time to test the Guardians, and whether they passed or failed, the old man would profit.

A win-win situation. How delectable.

A/N: hope you weren't disappointed. thanks for the reviews for the last chap and creature ideas, more of bothwould be appreciated. Ciao.


	12. It's home sweet home Hiroki, right?

Disclaimer: If this ever changes, you'll be the first to know.

"Mommy, Mommy! Look what I got!" Miyo called, running up to Kari.

Kari smiled and crouched down. "What do you have?"

"A pretty rock," Miyo said, excited. She held out her hand to reveal a blue and white speckled rock with an impression of a flower in it.

"What a beautiful fossil," Kari admired.

Miyo smiled even more. "It's for you, it's a present."

Kari smiled as well as she took the fossil from Miyo and placed it in a pouch at her hip.

"Thank you Miyo, I'll keep it with me always," she told the younger girl, giving her a hug.

"Hey, you two! Come on, hurry!" Hiroki yelled from up ahead.

"Well, he sounds excited," Kari mused. "Come on kid, let's go see what's got him all riled up."

Miyo nodded and ran ahead, Kari followed close behind. When they got to the top of the hill that Hiroki was on, the boy gestured to a city up ahead enthusiastically.

"Look, it's my home city," he told them, practically beaming, "My folks are there. I hadn't realized that we were so close. Come on!"

Kari smiled at his excitement and followed, finding it slightly hard to keep up with his fast pace. It would have been a lot easier if Whisper and Fury could come into the city, but that would only cause unneeded panic.

When they reached the outskirts of town, Hiroki paused, remembering. It had been quite a while since he had last been here. Once he got his bearings, he led them down one of many sidestreets.

"My folks own a small store around here that sells woven clothes and blankets and stuff. They live above the store. It's a great place, you'll both love it. It's got a great view of the sunset behind the trees and there's a stream that runs by it, and it's in a great part of town. Look! There it is!" Hiroki stopped his constant rambling to point out a quaint little building on the corner of a street.

"It's lovely," Kari complemented, meaning it. Of all the towns that she had been in, this one seemed to be the nicest.

"Come on, I'll introduce you. They'll love you, trust me."

Kari smiled and followed him, making sure to keep Miyo in tow.

"Ma! Pa! I'm home!" Hiroki called out as they walked in a back entrance.

"Who's there?" came a surprised elderly woman's voice.

"Ma, it's me, Hiroki."

A kindly looking lady, face wrinkled with age, came down the stairs. Her face was flushed, but in a healthy way.

"Ma!" Hiroki cried out, running over and giving her a hug.

Kari noticed confusion on the old woman's face before the lady returned the hug.

"Oh, yes, Hiroki dear. You've come home." The woman said with little emotion.

"Yeah, and I brought friends. Where's Pa?" he asked, looking around.

"Oh, he's…out," the woman replied, waving a hand towards the door. "Now, tell me who your lovely friends are dear."

"Ma, this is Hikari. And that little girl is Miyo. Girls, this is my Ma."

"Hello," Kari replied politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs…"

"Oh, just call me Bernadette, dear. Come up now, out of the harsh sun."

"Thank you, Bernadette," Kari said, walking up the stairs, pulling Miyo along. Hiroki followed behind.

Bernadette led them upstairs and to the right. Kari noticed that the upstairs was just a large loft with a few doors to either side. They were led through one of these doors into a bedroom.

"Why don't you freshen up, children? My husband will be here soon, and then we'll all eat supper." Suddenly, a tingling bell was heard. "Oh my, someone's in the shop. I'd best get down there. Take care," she said blankly before leaving and closing the door.

"Isn't she great?" Hiroki asked proudly.

Kari smiled politely and nodded. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Bernadette. Sure, she had never met the woman before, but she didn't seem very excited about Hiroki returning. Actually, she had seemed kind of 'blank' the whole time.

She shrugged it off and headed for the washroom. "I'll be right back," she called over her shoulder. "Keep an eye on Miyo."

"Sure thing," Hiroki replied.

Satisfied, Kari walked back to the loft and through the door next to the bedroom. As she waited for the water-basin to fill, she looked out the small window. Hiroki had been right about the view, it was lovely.

As she watched, she saw something shoot across the sky, near the window.

"What…?" she questioned, forgetting about the water for the moment.

She walked over to the window, opened it, and poked her head out cautiously. She looked around several times, but could see nothing out of place. People were walking down the street, children were wandering, dogs were following their masters, but that was it. Nothing out of the ordinary at all.

Shaking her head at her paranoia, she started to close the window. A quick, faint breeze blew suddenly just before she got it closed. After securing the latch, Kari turned around. And screamed.

--------------------

"Oh, my dear husband, you're home," Bernadette said, again emotionless.

"Yes," the man replied just as blankly. "Has anything happened while I was out?"

"Hiroki came back, and he brought two friends."

"Excellent. Everything is going according to plan then?"

"Yes, everything will work out as is planned."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Kari's scream filled the shop.

The old man tilted his head and a creepy looking smile came over his face. "It seems that the Master's plan has already begun. Let's go."

---------------------

Kari screamed again as she fired another wind sphere at the creature in the bathroom. It looked like a large 3 foot long centipede. The ends of its legs narrowed into large, sharp claws. It clicked its 'teeth' together as it advanced.

'_It's not even fazing it!' _Kari thought as she desperately fired yet again.

She looked over sharply as Hiroki burst through the door. "Hikari!" he cried out, alarmed as he saw the centipede. He quickly fired a fireball at the creature before running over to Hikari.

"Are you alright?" he asked frantically as he reached her.

Kari nodded, trying to figure out how to beat this creature. She fired yet another gust of wind as it tried to advance again. Her wind was followed closely by a burst of fire. Yet, the creature didn't seem fazed at all.

'_What now?' _she wondered as she and Hiroki were forced farther back into the bathroom. She couldn't call on Whisper, the bird wouldn't be able to get here on time. _'Hit its underside,' _her instinct told her.

She hesitated.

'_Hit its underside,' _her instinct insisted. _'Hit its underside with everything you've got.'_

'_Well, here goes,' _she thought as she drew upon her inner strength.

Raising her hand slowly, she froze, waiting for the right moment. But, the centipede was wriggling, she couldn't lock on its underside. She sighed, frustrated.

"Hiroki, you have to make it be still for a second!" she told him urgently.

Hiroki looked over puzzled, but nodded. Creating a fireball in each hand, he aimed for the floor near the creature's head. It reared up, partially blinded, and froze for a crucial second.

Realizing that the time for action was now, Hikari shot a great wind gust at the centipede's exposed belly. It was a direct hit. The creature cried an ear-peircing shriek before collapsing back onto all of its legs, obviously hurt, and scurrying out of the bathroom in a hurry.

Kari and Hiroki followed just in time to see it escape through one of the windows.

"Oh my, what happened here?"

Kari turned her head and saw Bernadette holding an unsettled Miyo. A man was behind her.

"We were attacked," she answered walking over.

She gently, yet quickly, lifted Miyo out of the older woman's grasp. If she hadn't known better, Kari would have sworn that Bernadette nearly growled at her as she did so. She shook it off and turned to the man, who was currently being hugged by Hiroki.

Hiroki released him and turned to his two companions. "This is my Pa. You can call him Jonas. Pa, these are Hikari and Miyo."

Jonas nodded curtly in their direction. Kari inwardly hmphed and shifted Miyo. She wondered if Jonas was this cold and emotionless to everyone.

"Well, why don't you all come down to the kitchen and we'll eat, hmm?" Bernadette said in a less than cheerful manner, seeming to have instantly forgotten about the attack.

The four other nodded and followed her. Hiroki seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his folks were emotionless. Kari wondered if he was blinded by happiness, or if she really was just being paranoid by thinking that something was wrong.

As she sat at the table and saw the food spread on it, she cast all of her doubts aside for the moment. There was a ham, potatoes, various fruit, and bottles of the delicious punch that was known all over Hiata. Kari's mouth watered just looking at it. It seemed like forever since she had last had a decent meal.

"Thank you," she said graciously as their plates were filled.

She began to eat right away. It was so delicious. She looked over as she saw that Miyo hadn't touched her food.

"Miyo, honey, what's wrong? Aren't you hungry?"

Miyo simply shook her head and crawled into Kari's lap. She curled up and stared mistrustingly at Jonas and Bernadette.

Puzzled, Kari wrapped an arm around the younger girl while casting a look at the two elders as well. She then looked over at Hiroki, who too was looking confused.

Kari sighed slightly as she took another bite. Then she put her fork down and stood up.

"I think Miyo needs to rest," she said, "I'm going to put her in bed now."

Hiroki nodded and the two adults made no sign that they had even heard her. She sighed again, irritated at their rudeness, and headed upstairs. She sat on the bed, Miyo still in her lap.

"So, do you want to tell me what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Miyo shifted a little. "I don't trust them. Something in them's bad."

"Miyo!" Kari scolded. "That's not a nice thing to say. These are Hiroki's folks, they're not evil."

Miyo nodded. "I know _they're _not, but something inside of them is."

"You're not making any sense."

"I don't know how to explain. Something bad's gonna happen though, I can feel it. And they're going to be on the bad side, but they won't know it."

"What do you mean they won't know it?"

"They won't know it," Miyo insisted. "They just won't." She yawned and snuggled closer to Hikari.

Kari, realizing that she wasn't going to get anything else out of the girl that night, laid her down and pulled the covers over her. She sat and watched Miyo sleep peacefully. She turned her head as the door opened and closed quietly. It was Hiroki. He walked over to the bed and sat down as well.

"Did you see how she was looking at my folks?" he asked softly and Kari could hear underlying anger.

Kari nodded. "Don't be mad, she's only a child. She goes by her first instinct."

"But she looked as though she thought the food was _poisoned_ or something," he quietly exclaimed.

"Maybe she's not used to being around such solemn people. She probably didn't know what to think."

Hiroki looked at her, slightly surprised. "What do you mean, 'such solemn people?'"

"Haven't you noticed? They haven't really shown any emotion since we arrived. Maybe that's how they normally are, but Miyo and I just aren't used to it, I suppose."

Hiroki sighed and looked down. "I noticed," he admitted quietly. "I just didn't want to believe that they had changed so much. I mean, before I left they were the happiest people in this town, and now…."

Kari leaned over and gave him a brief peck on the cheek. "Don't worry about it for now. Why don't we go to bed? We can talk more in the morning and maybe figure out what the problem is."

Hiroki nodded and climbed under the blankets, pulling Miyo closer protectively. Kari followed suit. It took them only minutes to fall into a deep sleep.

----------------

Downstairs, Jonas and Bernadette sat in front of the glowing fireplace.

"The young Key suspects something, I think," Jonas stated quietly.

Bernadette nodded. "The Wind Elemental subconsciously suspects as well. What shall we do?"

"We cannot wait any longer. While it would have been ideal to gain their trust and take them to Master willingly, that will never happen now. It's best if we strike quickly, while they are sleeping. Master will send help for us."

Bernadette nodded again and stood slowly. "Let us go then. The sooner this is done, the better it will be for all."

Jonas returned her nod and started up the stairs. When he reached the bedroom door, his eyes began to faze into an unnatural red/purple color. He opened the door softly and crept inside, Bernadette close behind. Her eyes had fazed as well.

They approached the bed slowly, not wanting to make any foolish mistakes in haste. Bernadette walked around to the far side where Kari slept, while Jonas stood by Hiroki and Miyo. Looking down at the sleeping figures, they made no movement when two of the 3 foot long centipedes suddenly slithered into the room. They seemed to have slipped in the cracks.

The centipedes reared by the bed and waited for the two humans to make a move. Without looking up from the sleeping children, both adults bent closer and reached out their hands.

In synchronization, they struck. Jonas wrapped one hand around Hiroki's neck and the other around Miyo's. He pinned the groggy Hiroki down as the boy struggled, not fully comprehending what was going on. On the other side of the bed, Bernadette had pinned Kari down in a similar fashion.

Kari struggled while trying to make sense of what was going on. Was she losing it, or was Bernadette trying to kill her?! She clawed at the old woman's hands, trying to get air. However, for an old lady, Bernadette was fairly strong. Out of the corner of her eye, Kari noticed that Hiroki and Miyo were being attacked too. She closed her eyes and prayed that they would escape, continuing her struggle all the while.

Over on his side of the bed, Hiroki's mind couldn't seem to process what was happening. His own Pa was attacking him! It didn't make sense. And it wasn't just him that Jonas was attacking, Miyo was being hurt too. Hiroki couldn't understand. His Pa had always been so warm and friendly before. Was this his fault? Was it caused because he left?

He was jerked out of his thoughts by Miyo crying out before going limp. Enraged now, and not caring that the attacker was the man who had raised him, Hiroki began to actually fight. He clawed at the old man's hand and tried to kick and punch him. However, he was at a great disadvantage.

As the lack of air began to seriously affect him, he felt something crawl across his legs. Shifting his vision as best as he could, he saw a giant centipede hovering over him. Another was by Kari.

The centipede reared up to strike, and Hiroki desperately tried to think of something.

'_What do I do?! What do I do?! Think Hiroki, think!' _suddenly, the answer came to him clear as day. _'My fire powers, duh!'_

He hadn't even thought about using his powers before because he had been too confused and panicked. But now he began to draw on his inner strength.

"Oh no you don't," Jonas hissed, realizing what he was planning on doing. The unnatural eyes flashed and Hiroki felt a surge of painful energy rush through him, breaking his concentration. He opened his mouth to scream in agony, but realized that he had no air left with which to scream. He vaguely saw the centipede preparing to strike again, and he waited for the end.

The centipede reared back just a few inches more before starting its lightning fast deadly descent.

_Stop now! I command you!_

The centipede stopped, its 'fangs' mere inches from the boy. The other centipede was poised in the same position over Hikari.

_I want them alive and mostly undamaged. Do all of you understand?_

The two centipedes and two adults nodded and the centipedes receeded. Jonas and Bernadette looked down just in time to see the two Guardians go limp from lack of air. They removed their hands from the slender necks and unceremoniously hefted the three children up; Bernadette carrying Hikari, and Jonas carrying the other two.

Without so much as a look or word exchanged, the two started down the stairs and walked out of the shop. They turned down the street and headed for the center building. Behind them, the centipedes followed. And all around, the rest of the town's citizens walked blankly towards the center of the city as well.

------------------

"Oh man, I just had the weirdest dream," Kari groaned as she began to wake up, expecting to be in the guest bed above the shop.

Needless to say, she was shocked when she found herself on a hard concrete floor. Forcing her eyes open, she noticed that she was in a cell of all places. It was small and stone, with the exception of steel bars at the front. There was a slit up near the top on the back wall that allowed her to see the sky. It was still dark.

'I guess it wasn't a dream. But…why would they attack us? I don't understand. Wait…what happened to the others?!'

She quickly sprang to her feet and ran to the front of the cell. Wrapping her fingers around the bars, she tried to look around. The whole room seemed to be comprised of small cells identical to hers. She wondered if they held prisoners as well.

"Hikari, is that you?" came an incredulous voice.

"Hiroki!" she exclaimed, relieved. She saw now that he was in a cell diagonal from her. "Hiroki, have you seen Miyo? Is she with you?"

Hiroki shook his head sadly.

"You won't see her ever again," came a raspy female voice.

"Who are you?" Hiroki demanded. "And where are you?"

"I'm in the cell next to you," was the reply, "And I am called Meersa."

"What did you mean that we won't see Miyo again?" Kari asked.

"She is to be the first sacrifice. By the time you two are taken up, she will be dead."

"We have to save her!" Kari cried.

"We will," Hiroki grunted, trying to knock the bars of his cage loose in vain.

"Oh stop that, you're just going to hurt yourself," Meersa said boredly.

"Well I can't just sit here and let Miyo be killed," he decided to try melting the bars instead. However, his flames didn't make a difference.

"They're flame proof genius," Meersa stated.

Hiroki hmphed. "Well, if you're so high and mighty, how do we get out of here?"

"Easy. You use the keys."

"And how do we do that?"he shot back.

"Use your little wind friend over there."

Hiroki looked over at Hikari, a ray of hope in his eyes. "Can you get them Hikari?"

"I don't know," she replied, looking at the keys that were all the way across the room. "I'll try."

She then centered herself, focusing her energy. This was going to be hard. She wasn't destroying with wind now, she was manipulating it. And that was tricky. It had been the one lesson with Shaukaka that had given her difficulty. However, she knew she couldn't fail now.

She closed her eyes and spiraled down into herself, drawing on her energy. She focused intently, on the windball that she had created. Keeping her eyes closed, she stretched it out thin, so that it was more like a continuous gust than a energy sphere.

Opening her eyes for just a second to lock onto the position of the keys, she gently urged the wind in that direction. When the gust reached the keys, she gently wrapped it around them. She then raised the wind so that the keys were lifted off of their hook. Finally, she called the wind back. She caught the keys as they dropped in front of her.

"Alright!" Hiroki cheered as Hikari unlocked her cell and rushed over to his.

When they were both free, they started to leave when they remembered Meersa. Kari quickly went back to the cell that Meersa's voice had been coming from and unlocked it.

Out of the cell emerged a girl only a year or two older than the two Guardians. She had stringy blonde hair, a pale, pinched face, dull grayish eyes, and was wearing nothing but a ragged old dress. She looked half-starved and miserable. But, amazingly, her eyes were still strong.

"This way," she rasped, heading for a door that they hadn't previously seen. "The girl you want is up these stairs."

Kari and Hiroki followed quickly without protest when she mention Miyo, Hiroki creating a small fireball to light the way. The stairway was damp and in disrepair. It seemed to wind up into the darkness infinately. However, it did not take them long to reach a trap door at the top.

Meersa turned around and gestured for them to be silent. Hiroki vanished his fireball. Slowly, Meersa pushed the trap door up about two or three inches and looked around. Deciding that it was safe, she pushed the door the rest of the way and crept up onto the stone floor of the room. The two Guardians followed closely.

"This way," Meersa whispered, leading.

They reached the end of the room and came to another door. Meersa pushed this one open only a few inches as well, and gestured for the other two to look through. What they saw shocked them.

Miyo was up on top of some sort of alter, hands chained to a pole in front of her. A tall man standing next to her was speaking to an immense crowd in a foreign tongue. Every once in a while he would gesture to Miyo with a knife in his hands, causing the girl to shrink away terrified. However, it only made the crowd enthusiastic.

Hiroki had had just about enough and would have burst in there at that second, had Meersa not held him down.

"Wait until the time is right," she hissed.

Hiroki hmphed, but stayed put. Kari placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure both him and herself.

Suddenly, the tall man cried something in a loud voice and the crowd began to move to the opposite side of the large room. A hidden door opened and the villagers started to move inside.

The tall man stood to the side, motioning them through. When the last had gone, he regarded Miyo.

"Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you Precious," he said tauntingly. "As soon as we've feasted, we'll be sure to come back up for your _final_ act."

Miyo gulped, but glared at him. Then, he too walked through the door, closing it behind him. Miyo sighed and sat down cross legged, exhausted, but too scared to even consider sleeping.

"The time is now," Meersa stated, leading them into the hall. "But we must be careful, the centipedes are every where. If they spot us, we are as good as dead."

Hiroki and Kari nodded and slowly followed. When they were about 10 yards away from the alter, Miyo looked up and spotted them. She opened her mouth to cry out happily, but Kari quickly motioned for her to remain quiet. The small girl nodded obediently.

Making sure that they were not being watched, the group of three moved slowly up onto the alter. Meersa walked to the front to look for the centipedes while the two Guardians went straight to Miyo.

"Are you alright?" Kari asked quietly as she hugged Miyo tightly.

Miyo nodded and tried to hold still as Hiroki attempted to melt the shackles around her wrists. She knew her Daddy wouldn't hurt her on purpose, but she was afraid he might accidently burn her.

"I'm almost done," he assured her, "And don't worry, you won't be burned. I promise."

Miyo nodded as he continued. Just a minute or two later, he had succesfully freed her. Sighing in relief, he pulled both Hikari and Miyo into a hug.

"As much as I hate to break up this reunion," Meersa started, "we've got company."

Hiroki and Kari broke the embrace to see what she meant. Their eyes widened as they saw a group of a couple dozen or so centipedes coming straight for them.

"What do we do now?" Hikari asked Meersa.

The older girl wasted no time in taking charge. "Hiroki, create a wall of fire between us and the bugs," she ordered.

Hiroki hesitated, not sure if he could manage that. However, a glare from Meersa caused him to push all of his doubts aside. Spreading his hands and closing his eyes, he created many medium sized fireballs. When he had nearly 50 or 60, he focused on getting them in a straight line in front of the alter. He was able to do so with just some difficulty. As the final step, he allowed all of the energy inside of the fireballs to be released in the form of flames; this succesfully created a tall, controlled wall of fire.

"Come on," Meersa urged in a nononsense tone. "That won't hold them for long."

"What do you mean?" Hiroki asked, puzzled. He didn't see how they could get passed.

"Look," was the exasperated reply.

Hiroki obeyed and saw that some of the centipedes were actually _throwing _themselves into the flames to create gaps in the fire so that others could crawl through.

"Oh…shit," he cursed.

"No kidding," Meersa said tartly. "Now come on, this way!"

The elder girl immediately turned and rushed to the back of the alter. She jumped the few feet to the ground and sprinted for a back door, not even looking to see if the others were following her or not.

Hikari and Hiroki _were_ following, of course, but they were having trouble keeping up with the fast girl.

"Hey, wait!" Kari called as she struggled to carry Miyo and run at top speed.

Hiroki leaned over and took Miyo so that she could run faster. "I don't think she's going to wait for us," he replied indignantly.

However, they continued forward, trying to see if maybe they could catch up. They had lost sight of her only seconds before in the large, twisting halls of the city building. They had just rounded a corner when the three of them smashed into Meersa. The gilr had been standing completely still in the middle of the hall.

"Oww, warn someone if you're going to stop just like that," Hiroki complained, pushing himself up.

Meersa didn't reply, she just grabbed his chin and forced him to look where she was. He paled considerably as he saw the mass of angry villagers coming towards them from the right. Looking back, he saw the centipedes coming as well. Since the front was blocked off by a locked door, their only option was to go left.

"Come on, move it!" he said, pulling Kari and Meersa up. "This is the only way left to go."

They followed him quickly, trying to ignore the yelling and hissing behind them.

"Give us the girl! Give us back our sacrifice!" the crowd chanted, over and over again.

Kari looked over at the terrified girl in Hiroki's arms. Why did everyone seem to want her for a 'sacrifice?' She was just a small girl, right? Kari could tell that Hiroki was thinking the same thing.

Suddenly, the hall that they were running down abruptly ended in a door. Meersa desperately yanked on it and thankfully it was open. They rushed inside and slammed it shut, locking it from the inside.

Adrenaline still racing through them, they backed away from the door slowly, eyes never leaving the wooden structure. Suddenly, Kari bumped into something cold, wet, and sticky. Surprised, she tore her eyes from the door and looked behind her.

Her eyes widened substantially and she found that she couldn't speak. All she could do was wonder why fate hated them so much. For they had run straight into what looked like a rookery for the centipede creatures.

All of the centipedes in here were suspended in translucent green shells scattered about. Most looked full grown and they were wriggling around. Not a good sign.

She looked back at the door as the timbers began to crack.

'_We are gonna die,'_ she thought fearfully as the door finally gave way at the same time that one of the 'eggs' began to crack. She clutched the fossil that Miyo had given her and prayed that it would be a quick death for all of them.

A/N: I need reviews if you want me to continue! I need to know that _somebody's _reading it. Justa fewreviews will suffice. Anyway, I've decided only to update the glossary if asked, since it's so much of a hassal to update withevery chapter. Just ask if you want me to put something in. And I'm open to any magical creature or character ideas that you have. Anyway, 'till next time. Ciao.

P.S.: No flames please:)


	13. Return of an enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and ideas! I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you.

"Why can't we see him?" Katya demanded.

Kelmio sighed. "I told you, he still has much recovering to do. I don't want to have him become too excited by having you two go visit him."

"Well when can we see him?"

"I'll tell you when you may child, but presently you may not. Why don't you take Akio to go play with Alitea while I check on him right now?"

"Alright, fine," Katya grudgingly agreed, before half-stalking off towards the other side of the castle. Star obediently followed.

Kelmio sighed again and shook his head. Why were pre-teens so difficult? he wondered.

Contemplating this thought, he turned and walked back inside the building and up the stairs. The two Guardians plus Akio had been at Castle Shuuko for nearly a month, and all were clearly going stir-crazy.

When he reached the room that Takeru was currently occupying, he opened the door and walked in silently, expecting the boy to be asleep. He was pleasantly surprised to see him awake and sitting up. Making his way around the wolves that had refused to leave their master's side, Kelmio went over to the bed.

"Awake, I see. That's very good. Your health is improving rapidly now."

"Yeah," TK sighed, "But I still feel really weak."

"That's probably because you used what little energy you had left in that fight with the Mosque swarm. That was very stupid of you," he rebuked, while prodding Takeru's left arm.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" TK defended himself. "Katya needed the bug-things to be distracted so that her lionesses could get there in time. I couldn't just lie there and wait for us to die y'know."

"Very defensive, aren't you?" Kelmio asked, poking the boy's arm especially hard and earning a grimace. "Well, your arm's nearly healed, and the rest of your physical injuries are gone. Now you just have to wait for your life energy to build up again."

"And how long is that going to take? We have a mission, y'know. And I want to get it finished as soon as possible so I can get back to my world."

"Are you really that eager to leave? You'd be leaving Katya, Akio, your wolves, and everyone else you meet here behind."

TK sighed. "I know, but…I don't belong here. I have to go back, Kari and I can't stay. And the sooner we complete this, the less time we spend here, and the less it will hurt to go back."

Kelmio raised an eyebrow knowingly. "You say that, but you don't believe a word, do you?"

TK smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "No, but it's nice to think that way."

"You are an optimist then, just like your father."

"I suppose so, I can't really say, I didn't know what he was like."

"Would you like me to tell you what I can?"

TK nodded enthusiastically. Kelmio smiled and took a seat by the bed.

"Well, I've known BlackWolf since he was about your age. He was a very kind boy, and very brave. He understood his duty and completed it out without question. He was excellent with a sword, and no one could match him in speed and agility. That's probably because of his heredity, though."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't tell you exactly, but I can say that he came from a very special bloodline, as do you now."

"If you say so. But, can you tell me any more about him?"

Kelmio, sat back thoughtfully. "What do you want to know?"

"How about his real name?"

"No one remembers it. He has always simply been BlackWolf to everyone."

TK frowned. "I see. Well, can you tell me _anything _else about his life?"

"He was selfless and very mature for his age, if you're wanting to know of his personality. He became hardened from having to fight, of course, but he retained his kind nature. The people loved him, they loved all of the Guardians. Many were saddened when they died so young."

"How young were they?"

"Nineteen. They were all nineteen when they had to die and were finally given the choice to pass on to the OtherSide."

TK sat silently for a second, wondering what Kelmio meant by 'finally given the choice to pass on.' Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Reverend Kelmio, when you say 'finally' do you mean that they had gone to the Underworld before?"

Kelmio didn't look the least bit surprised by the question. "Yes. Like you, they had died before."

TK's eyes widened slightly. "You know I died?"

"I know all that goes on. I also know that you were given a Life Force Crystal and that's the only reason you're still alive."

"Yes," TK murmmered, placing his hand gently over his heart. "I don't understand it though."

Kelmio smiled slightly and moved TK's hand placing his own over the boy's chest. As TK watched in confusion, the Reverend's hands began to emit some kind of energy. TK could feel it pulsing through him.

Slowly, the Reverend drew back his hands. TK gasped as he felt his heart tug. He felt something inside of him being released. And he wasn't sure he liked the feeling. He was too mesmerized to move, however.

As Kelmio drew his hands farther back, something from inside TK seemed to be drawn up as well. He gasped again as a purple/black glow began to originate from his chest. Slowly, he saw the crystal being drawn out of him, suspended in the light. Kelmio held it in his hands.

"A Life Force Crystal is a very precious gift, one that should not be taken lightly. Should this frail stone be destroyed, you will die and there will be no coming back to life that time. You must protect it with all of your power. But, it will help you much more than it will hinder."

"How?" TK asked, staring at the stone. "What else can it do?"

Reverend Kelmio placed the stone in TK's cupped hands. "Focus on the stone, what do you feel?"

TK closed his eyes and focused as he was directed. He could feel the dark energy radiating from it. As he concentrated more, his mind began to spiral down _within _the stone. It spun deeper and deeper, getting out of control as it was engulfed. Panicked, he snapped his eyes open and nearly dropped the stone.

"What did you feel?" Kelmio asked calmly.

"It was…I was…my mind was spinning in it. I couldn't control it…it surrounded me…it was so powerful, too powerful…it was very frightening," he finished in an undertone. "How can this help me?"

Kelmio took the stone back from a reluctant TK. Even if it had shaken him up, he still felt drawn to it. And besides, it was his lifeline, literally.

After a few seconds, Kelmio spoke again. "The wonderful thing about a Life Force Stone is that it provides much easier access to one's inner power. That energy that you were engulfed in was actually your untapped potential. It's how powerful you can become. As you could plainly tell, however, you are no where near skilled enough to control it all. You see, that's what the Shadow Stone on your arm is for. It protects you from subconsciously tapping into that uncontrollable power."

"So that's what it is," TK mumbled, tracing the stone on his arm lightly.

"Yes, it's one of the things that Isan did that actually saved your life."

"One of the things?" TK shot back, angry that Kelmio would insinuate that Isan had done more to help him.

"Yes," Kelmio replied, still calm. "Had he not trained you, you would have died long before, but wouldn't have been given the Life Force Stone. You see, Isan actually saved your life."

TK hmphed and crossed his arms as best as he could. "I guess," he muttered angrily. Then his tone changed to a curious one. "How were you able to draw out the Life Force Stone without killing me?"

"I was able to because it was still, and forever will be, linked directly to your heart. As long as it is not destroyed you will live, even if it is hundreds of miles from where you are."

"I see," TK said quietly as he took the stone back and placed it against his chest. Slowly he pushed it back into himself, absorbing it into his heart once more. He noticed that it didn't hurt as much as it had before, but a dull throbbing pain did accompany it.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kelmio noticed Rage rise, sensing his master's pain and assuming that Kelmio was responsible. The other wolves were alert as well. Kelmio decided that now would be a good time to take his leave.

He reached over and patted the boy's shoulder as he rose. "I should really go back and tend to Katya, Akio, and the lionesses. They are quite anxious to see you, you know. Do you think you feel up to visitors?"

TK nodded enthusiastically, pain pretty well gone. "It's about time you let them see me. You're even more protective than my brother." He sighed and looked down at the last sentence, wishing he hadn't said it. He always got so depressed when he thought about Earth.

Kelmio looked at him in understanding. "Should I still send them up?"

TK nodded absently and Kelmio quietly left to fetch the others.

Rage sauntered over to the bed and placed his head in his master's lap, looking up at him with understanding eyes.

/Will you be alright Takeru/

TK sighed as he pet the wolf's head. /Yes, I think so./

Rage then perked his ears.

/What is it/ TK asked.

/The others are coming. They are very excited./

TK smiled slightly. Suddenly, he thought he saw something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head quickly, but there was nothing there. Just an open window. But, he could have sworn…

/Apocalypse…/ he started to ask the wolf nearest the window.

/Yes/

/Did you notice…I mean was something there by the window a second ago/

Apocalypse raised his head, confused. /No Takeru, why do you ask/

TK frowned. /I thought I saw something. Probably just my imagination./

His attention was diverted from the mysterious happening at the window by the door to his room opening. Akio ran in first, followed closely by Katya. The younger boy smiled with glee and ran to the bed. He clambered up Rage, much to the wolf's playful annoyance, and practically launched himself at TK.

"Papa! You're okay!"

TK chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Yeah, I'm fine kid. Are _you_ alright?"

Akio nodded. "Of course. I was _really_ worried about you though. So was Mama. She kept gettin' all mad at Reverend Kelmio when he wouldn't let us see you."

"Oh really?" TK drawled, looking over at Katya, who was blushing a little.

/Rage, why don't you take Akio to play over on the other side of the room while Katya and I talk/

/Alright. I'm sure Tempest will watch the little pup./

Rage then gently used his teeth to pick up Akio by the back of his shirt. Akio looked surprised, but didn't struggle or anything. He simply went along with it.

Once he was on the other side of the large room, Katya approached the bed slowly. TK saw her eyes begin to fill with tears. He tilted his head at her curiously. When she reached the bed, she practically collapsed on his chest, a few tears escaping her.

"You are such an idiot!" she exclaimed weakly, clutching his shirt with one of her hands. "You tried to save us and you nearly got yourself killed!"

'_You don't know the half of it,' _TK thought wanely.

"You'd better not scare us like that ever again!" she continued scolding. "You'd better promise me!"

TK tried to lighten the mood with a chuckle. "It's not like I _planned _it or anything."

She pulled back and glared at him, tear streaks on her face.

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his one good hand, and speaking soothingly. "I promise I'll be more careful, how's that?"

Katya nodded somewhat jerkily. She stared into his eyes as he stared back. She couldn't believe he had tried to make a _joke _of the whole thing. He had nearly died. He, one of the most important people in her life, the one that she was fallin-. She stopped her thoughts dead right there. Kelmio had said that her mother's one mistake had been falling in love, and she wasn't going to repeat that mistake. Besides, he wasn't even really from this world. It would never work.

But none of that seemed to matter as she looked into his georgeous blue eyes. She didn't know when she had started liking him that way, but it had become crystal clear when she had almost lost him. She inwardly sighed as they kept looking at each other. Why did things have to be so difficult?

She saw Takeru sit up, bringing their faces even closer together. Their lips closer together. Oh Gods, she could feel her cheeks growing warm. She couldn't imagine what his reaction would be if he saw her blushing.

Next to her, TK didn't even notice the blush. He was too busy looking at the rest of her face. He hadn't realized until now, but she was a very beautiful girl, and would no doubt mature to be even more lovely. He mentally kicked himself, what was he thinking? For one thing, they were from different worlds, and for another, he doubted she was interested.

Then again, she _had _kissed him. But that was just in thanks, right? As they sat, he, very slowly, unconsciously leaned closer to her. She did the same. They stopped when they were only a few inches away from each other, both unsure of whether to continue.

"So, are you going to kiss or what?" came Akio's small sing-song voice.

Both older children whipped their heads towards him before smiling nervously and pulling away, faces red, completely embarrassed.

Akio chuckled, as did several of the wolves. TK mentally glared at them, but that only seemed to encourage their snickering.

Katya and TK turned back to each other, unsure of what to say. There was a long awkward silence. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Alitea rushed in.

"My Lord and Lady," she greeted, hastily bowing.

TK and Katya inwardly sighed. She had insisted on calling them that since they arrived.

"Yes Alitea?" Katya asked pleasantly, glad for the distraction from the extremely embarrassing situation.

"A warrior has arrived. He claims to know you personally my Lady, and he knows of you my Lord. He is in terrible shape, but refuses to be helped until he speaks to both of you."

"Send him in then," Katya replied, mentally thinking of every man she knew personally, trying to figure out who it could be. "Maybe we can talk some sense into him."

"Right away," was the reply as Alitea went back out, only to return shortly with an odd looking man. At least, he looked odd to TK.

The man was fairly young, mid-twenties or so, and had long, slightly matted black hair that framed his pale face and deep dark eyes. He was wearing brown loose leather pants that reminded TK of what an Indian might wear, and his chest was bear. Well, almost.

On his chest were several blue stripes running diagonally that looked like they circled around his back and up to his shoulders again. His face was marked as well. A small loose spiral was on the middle of each of his cheeks and they were connected by a swirling line that went up towards his eyes and over the bridge of his nose.

He was panting and looked extremely hurt.

"Maki!" Katya cried out, rushing over. "Maki, you're hurt! What has happened to you!"

The man, Maki, looked up tiredly before attempting a bow. "My Lady," he panted out.

Katya got an annoyed look on her face and held him up. "Look Maki, we've been good friends forever, so don't you _dare _start getting all formal on me now, understand?"

Maki let out a weak chuckle. "Alright, you win." By this time, it was clear that he was about to collapse, a fact not lost on TK.

TK threw back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He stood up shakily, muscles weak from not being used. Rage, the closest to the bed, stood and offered his support as TK walked over the the duo, who hadn't noticed him yet.

When he reached them, he placed a hand on Katya's shoulder. "Why don't you help our guest over to the bed? He looks as though needs some rest, or at least needs to lay down."

Katya looked at him, ready to scold him for being up and moving around, but thought better of it as she realized that he was right. Nodding silently, she moved to support Maki and urged him to the bed. Maki resisted a little at first, but relented at Katya's warning glares.

Once Maki was propped up in the bed, Katya turned to TK, concerned anger in her eyes. "You. Sit. Now." she ordered, pointing to the chair by the bed.

TK flashed her a small grin before sitting cross-legged in the large chair. Katya perched on its arm.

"I'm afraid that we haven't been properly introduced," TK said to break the ice. "My name is Takeru."

"I am Maki," was the reply. "You are the fabled Shadow Mage, are you not my Lord?"

"I _am _the Shadow Mage, but you needn't call me 'Lord,' Maki."

"Oh, but I must my Lord," he then turned to Katya. "And I know _you_ very well my Lady Light Mage."

"You should," Katya huffed, still irritated that one of her best friends was treating her like nobility. "We _did _grow up together. You were like the overly overprotective big brother that I never had."

TK inwardly winced at he statement. How often had he used the middle part of that phrase to describe Matt? Surely more times than he could count. He tried not to show any outward emotion, though, as Katya continued talking.

"So, tell me," she urged Maki, "What happened to you?"

Maki sighed. "The village was attacked."

Katya's eyes widened. "By w-who?"

"The Gryphons, we know not who their master is."

"Is everyone…alright?" she asked hesitantly.

Maki looked down. "Some were killed, but most survived. They are trapped in the village now, and will die of starvation if the Gryphons are not defeated soon. I just barely managed to escape."

Katya was speechless. She couldn't believe that the Kol village that she grew up in had been attacked and the people were dying. It was a horrible thing to imagine. She didn't know what to do. Suddenly TK spoke.

"We will defeat them then and free the village," he proclaimed.

"You're hurt," Katya accused.

TK brushed it off. "I am well enough. I can rest for the remainder of the day, and we can leave in the morning. We can leave Akio here in Alitea's care. I doubt she'll mind."

"Takeru…" she trailed off.

Maki picked up. "We do not want you in any danger my Lord. If I had known you were injured, I would have sought help elsewhere. I can leave and find someone else."

"Who? I may not know much about Hiata, but I can tell you that even if you were able to find someone willing and capable of helping, it will take a long while. Too long. No, we shall do it. It is our duty to protect all of Hiata, is it not?" he asked, glancing at Katya.

Katya sighed and slowly nodded. "It is."

"Well then, it's settled. We will rest today, and leave first thing tomorrow." TK stood up and turned towards the bed. "Maki, you can stay in here tonight. I'll find a different room, I'm sure this place has lots of them."

Maki smiled and inclined his head in a form of a bow. "Thank you my Lord."

TK sighed. "You don't have to be so formal, you know."

"Give it up Takeru," Katya said, feigning weariness. "He has too thick of a skull to change what he does. Always has."

Maki mock glared at her as TK turned to leave. "I'm sure you have a lot a catching up to do. I think I'll just go find another bed now. I'll see you both later."

The two nodded their good-byes as he left, his wolves trailing him. Then Katya sat down in the chair next to the bed and began to talk of everyday things with her old friend. Although, the conversation didn't last long as he soon fell asleep. She simply smiled and watched him lay there peacefully. She couldn't describe how happy she was at that moment. But she had a sinking feeling that the happiness wouldn't last long.

-

Early the next morning, the two and their Shadow Beasts set off as planned. TK had removed all of his bandages earlier, but had grudgingly let Alitea bind his left arm from wrist to elbow tightly so that the fracture would continue healing correctly.

However, this minor nuisance didn't stop him from acting like his old self. He tried to keep up conversation as they rode, asking Katya about exactly where they were going.

She told him that they were headed for a medium sized village to the Southwest of Castle Shuuko. It was located within an oasis type place, surrounded by trees with a pure lake in the middle. The people who lived their were called Kols.

Two of the Kols, Aleja and Kosjo, had born and raised Katya in that village. The Kols were nature loving people, and very secretive. They tended to keep to the shadows, and avoid any kind of conflict of unwanted contact when possible. They were very untrusting when it came to outsiders, but when you gained their trust, they would protect you like kin.

TK noticed that Katya spoke in a dreamy tone when she told him about the village. He figured she must be homesick. He couldn't blame her, he missed his home as well. Often, when he couldn't sleep at night he would imagine that he was on Earth with his family. These thoughts would soothe him to sleep more times than not.

"We are almost there," Katya said, breaking into his thoughts. "It is just over this next hill."

TK frowned. He could sense the Gryphon now. They were powerful, but not overly so. However, while they may have been slightly weak individually, as a pack they were probably a force to be reckoned with.

"We should be cautious now, and stick to the shadows," he advised. "We want the element of surprise on our side." He paused in thought. "Tell me, is there a way to sneak into the village and attack the Gryphon from the inside?"

Katya bit the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "There are ridges on the north side of the village. They will be very hard for the Gryphon to guard effectively. We could, perhaps, sneak in through there."

TK nodded. "Alright. Lead the way."

Katya nodded back and urged Star and the rest of the lionesses to the north, making sure to keep in the shadows of the trees and rocks. They were about halfway to the ridges when they encountered their first obstacle.

"Katya, Gryphon," TK hissed, indicating the sky.

She looked up and her eyes widened slightly. There was indeed a Gryphon circling just above them. It hadn't seemed to notice them, but they couldn't take any chances. They decided to wait for it to leave, but it didn't. It settled on a high rock, using eagle sharp eyes to scan the landscape.

TK inwardly cursed. That Gryphon didn't look like it was going to move anytime soon, and they couldn't move another inch if it stayed. Yet, if they didn't move, they would most likely be caught. The only way to avoid being caught, that TK saw, was to kill the Gryphon swiftly and silently.

He turned to Katya, not believing what he was going to say. "We have to kill it now, but undetected," he whispered almost inaudibly.

Katya pulled back, eyes wide. She couldn't believe that he would suggest that. He had always been the nonviolent one. But, he was right, of that she was sure.

"How?" she responded, leaning closer again.

TK paused. "I think Rage and Star could do the trick. They just have to be quick and clean."

Katya nodded and placed a hand on Star. TK, in turn, placed a hand on Rage.

/Rage/

((Star?))

/Hunt./ ((Hunt.))

Hearing this simple command, the wolf and lioness took off into the shadows, eyeing their prey. It had yet to detect them, not surprising as they were the better predators. They positioned themselves behind it, crouching and inching closer. With a glance at each other and a mutual understanding, they lunged.

Rage went straight for the neck while Star tried to get at the soft underbelly. A quick snap, cruch, and squish later it was dead, not even having time to cry out.

The two predators then began to feast on the Gryphon, especially enjoying its blood. It had been a while since they had been allowed to eat something that they had hunted as Kelmio made them eat meat that he already had on hand.

Katya and TK simply let them eat for a minute or two, deciding that the two deserved it for a job well done. In the corner of his mind, TK could feel the other wolves' disappointment at not being able to eat as well.

/Don't worry/ he told the pack. /You'll all eat your fill of Gryphon soon, I'm sure./

He felt his wolves 'smile' back before he turned his attention to Rage once more. The wolf and lioness had pretty much devoured the whole beast, leaving nothing but the skeleton. Their muzzles were covered in blood.

/Good boy Rage/ TK praised. /But we need to move now./

Rage nodded and walked back over, kneeling down to allow TK onto his back. Star did the same for Katya.

((Excellent kill Star.))

((Thank you Katya)) Star purred.

As they again began to make their way to the village, a strategic idea struck TK.

"Katya, let's leave half of our Shadow Beasts to surround the village. That way, if the Gryphon try to retreat, they'll have no where to go."

"Good idea," she replied, surprised that she hadn't thought of that first.

((Alright Serenity, Purity, Bliss, Devotion, and Miracle, you heard him. Surround the village along with his wolves and if the Gryphon try to get away, hunt.))

Several purrs of contentment rang in her head.

/Tempest, Apocalypse, Midnight, Poison, and Storm; you five stay out here and watch for Gryphon. We won't take too long to drive them out, understand/

/Yes Takeru/ a medley of voices replied.

/Good. Go now/ As soon as he finished this command, the five wolves, followed by the lionesses, disappeared into the night, cautiously surrounding the oasis area.

/Okay Rage, let's continue. Follow Star./

Rage obeyed and settled in step behind the lioness in the lead. He licked his lips, savouring the lingering taste of the Gryphon blood. He hoped there would be more to come.

"This way," Katya whispered, "We're nearly there. Are any Gryphons around?"

TK concentrated. The closest one was over a hundred yards to the left, and it was moving away. He frowned. He had been sure that it would be more difficult to get into the village than this. He sighed and tried to shrug it off and turned to answer Katya's question.

"There are none that will bother us."

Katya nodded in reply. "Good. There are the ridges, right ahead of us."

TK looked ahead and saw massive cliffs and ravines, and wondered exactly how they were going to get across and into the village. Katya seemed to know exactly where they were going, though.

She urged Star towards a narrow opening between two of the cliffs. It was a tight squeeze, but all of the Shadow Beasts were able to fit. However, the ceiling was low, so the two humans had to lay down on their respective Shadow Beasts in order to fit.

TK inwardly swore as his legs scraped painfully against the sides of the cliffs yet again. "How much farther?" he asked Katya.

"Not much," she replied. "It's just up ahead."

A few minutes of painful travel later, the passageway did indeed begin to expand. The two humans could now sit up without banging their heads or scraping their legs. TK gave a sigh of relief, glad to be out of the cramped place.

As he looked around, he saw that they were inside the middle of the ravines now. He wondered how they would get out. But, yet again, Katya seemed to know exactly where to go.

She headed to the left, towards a place covered in shadow. TK tried to see through the shadows, but couldn't make out anything. He hoped Katya remembered how to get where they were going.

As they rode closer, Katya paid TK no mind. She simply kept going, assuming that he was following. She couldn't be distracted if she was to find what she was looking for. She might miss it if she wasn't completely focused.

Suddenly, she saw it, and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been so long since she had been down here, she was almost afraid that she had forgotten the way. Glad that she hadn't, she led them through a large stone archway into a long corridor. All they needed to do now was follow this, and they would end up in the center of the village.

She increased Star's pace as they got further along, excited to be so close to home. It took them only a few minutes to reach the end of the passage.

TK did a double take when he saw it. The exit was just a stone archway, like the entrance, but there was a _waterfall _just a couple feet beyond it.

Katya chuckled at his astounded face. "It is how we keep the tunnel secret. You are unlikely to find its beginning or its end unless you are a Kol. Come now, we are near the center of the village."

TK nodded, not able to think of anything to say. They went towards the waterfall and rode along a small rocky ledge that went around to the side of the lake. TK noted that it was very beautiful on the inside. The waterfall fell from a bluff into a large crystal clear lake. Their were several small houses made of mud bricks and thatch roofs surrounding the lake. There was also a two story building in the middle. The ruler's house, TK assumed. And surrounding all of this was a lush forest.

"Come on," Katya said, hurriedly. "You said that there were no Gryphons, correct?"

TK nodded, still concerned about that fact. If the Gryphon had taken over the village, then why were they all _outside _of the village lines? Wouldn't at least two or three stay to guard the people? It made him…uneasy.

Katya didn't seem to feel this uneasiness and she continued urging Star towards the village. When they reached the lake's edge, Katya dropped off of Star. TK dropped off of Rage's back as well, keeping a hand on the wolf's shoulder.

"Where to now?" he asked, glancing around. It looked deserted to him.

"We are going to see my Aleja and Kosjo."

"You mean, your mom and dad?"

"The Kols don't use such titles as 'mother,' 'father,' 'son,' or 'daughter'. We simply call each other by our given names."

"Oh, I see."

"Come on now, they live over here."

She led the way towards a house just a few yards away. She opened the door slowly, not bothering to knock.

"They'll have to stay out here," she said absently, gesturing to the Shadow Beasts.

TK nodded. /Rage, take the others and scout. Report back within an hour, alright/

/Yes Takeru/ Rage replied, turning to leave.

TK then turned back to Katya, who was entering the house slowly. He wondered what she was so apprehensive about. This _was _her family, after all.

"Aleja? Kosjo? Are you here?"

"Katya?" came a surprised male voice.

A man then came into the room quickly, bags under his eyes. TK noted that he had the same coloring and clothing as Maki, and the blue markings were only a little different.

"Kosjo!" Katya cried out, running over and throwing her arms around his neck. "I've missed you so!"

'_So this is the man who raised Katya,'_ TK thought. _'He looks nice enough.' _

Katya broke the hug a few moments later and gestured to TK. "Kosjo, this is Takeru. He is the Shadow Mage."

"It is a pleasure to meet you my Lord," Kosjo greeted, inclining his head.

TK said. _'Not again.' _"Nice to meet you too. And please, just call me Takeru."

"Alright…Takeru."

"Kosjo, where's Aleja?" Katya asked excitedly.

Her excitement dimmed as she saw his eyes grow sad.

"She is…in the bedroom," he replied slowly. "She was hurt in the attack. The shaman doesn't think she'll…" he trailed off.

Katya stepped back, striken, before rushing into the back room. She saw Aleja lying on the bed, looking pale and flushed at the same time. Her breathing was shallow and raspy, and her eyes were half open. She turned her head as she heard the girl come in.

"Who's there?" she asked weakly.

"Aleja, it's me. It's Katya, I've come home," Katya replied shakily as she knelt by the bed and took Aleja's hand.

Aleja's eyes softened and her mouth formed a ghost of a smile. "My girl, you're safe. I was so…so worried," as she finished speaking she was overtaken by a series of coughs.

Katya worriedly stroked her hand as she waited for the fit to stop. "Yes Aleja, I am fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"Do not worry my girl," her voice was soft as she raised a hand to lightly stroke Katya's cheek. "I got to see you again, and that makes me the happiest woman in the world right now. I'm so glad that I am able to say good-bye to you." Another series of coughs.

"Don't be silly Aleja. Nobody's leaving, you don't need to say good-bye," Katya nearly choked on the words.

"Hush now, darling. Don't cry. You have to be strong. Promise me you'll be strong," Aleja's voice was a mere pained whisper now.

"I-I promise," Katya stuttered brokenly, clutching Aleja's hand even more tightly.

"Good girl. My good, strong girl," Aleja breathed as her eyes slowly closed. Her breathing hitched and her hand went limp in Katya's grasp.

"No, Aleja!" Katya cried in a whisper. "Don't leave me! Please, don't leave!"

Oh, how she wanted to break down and cry, but she had promised Aleja she would be strong. Why did she make a promise she couldn't keep? Despite her will, a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

From the doorway, TK and Kosjo looked on in sadness and anger. Sadness because of the death of Aleja; anger because it could have easily been avoided. TK glanced over at Kosjo and saw that he looked like he was about to cry as well. He then noticed more tears rolling down Katya's face.

He walked over slowly and crouched behind her, wrapping his arms around her, rocking her slightly.

"It'll be okay Katya," he soothed. "She's in a better place now. Trust me, I know." At that part, Katya twisted her head and looked at him curiously. But her curiousity was immediately replaced with anguish.

She leaned into him, letting some sobs escape her. She knew she had promised Aleja that she would be strong, but even the strongest cried sometimes.

TK saw that Kosjo had moved to the bedside, and looked very close to breaking down.

"Come on Katya," TK whispered softly. "Let's give them some time alone now."

Katya nodded shakily and allowed TK to gently pull her up and guide her to another part of the house, closing the door to the bedroom behind them. He moved her over to a couch and sat her down, letting her cry.

As she did, he ran soothing fingers through her hair, not letting his anger show. "Don't worry Katya, we'll make them pay. I swear to you that they'll pay."

-

In their anger, they decided to start their attack just a few hours later. TK found the location of every single Gryphon and relayed this information to both the wolves and the lionesses. Then, with anger controlling their minds, the two ordered the Shadow Beasts to kill every one mercilessly.

The Shadow Beasts had no problem complying. The ten on the inside of the village each stalked one of the Gryphon, getting as close as they could without being seen. When they were seen, they would run at top speed, trying to chase the Gryphon into the path of one of the Shadow Beasts surrounding the village.

The Gryphons, being not very intelligent creatures, fell for it each time. Their death cries filled the air as they were torn apart by the merciless beasts that were feeding off of their master and mistress' lust for revenge.

When every single Gryphon had been slaughtered, the Beasts began feeding. They tore the flesh apart and drank the blood, still feeling the killing frenzy.

TK and Katya watched them eat with some satisfaction. They had avenged Aleja, it would seem, and made sure that these Gryphons were not going to harm anyone else. But they still didn't know who the person controlling the Grypons was. And it bothered them immensly.

TK sighed, frustrated, as he walked among his wolves; none had seen anything that could have been the master. When he reached the edge of the oasis he sat on a rock, trying to think of who it might have been. Seeing as how he didn't know thatmuch about the people of Hiata, it was really getting him no where.

He raised his head quickly as something flashed in his mind. It felt like…another Gryphon, only…more human. But, that was impossible…right? What could possibly be part Gryphon, part human? That seemed weird, even for Hiata. He concentrated. It was coming from the east.

/Frenzy/ he called to the closest wolf.

Frenzy stopped feeding and walked over obediently. /Yes Takeru/

/What do you see over there/ he asked, pointing east. He figured that since wolves have better eyesight than humans that she might be able to see something.

Frenzy focused her eyes and looked towards where her master had indicated. /Not much. There are a few more bluffs rising up, but nothing else that I can see. Why/

/I feel something/ he replied absently.

Frenzy nodded in understanding, and waited to see if he would continue.

/Will you fetch Katya for me? Then you can finish eating./

/Of course/ she replied, trotting off.

Katya approached him several moments later. "You wanted to see me?" she asked, still getting over the shock of Aleja's death.

TK nodded. "What would happen if we went over there?" he asked, indicating to where the bluffs were.

Katya frowned slightly and focused her power to see the future. "We will end up in a fight with a strange beast and a familiar one," she said in a trance-like voice. "We will defeat one, but be defeated by the other. That is all I can see, the rest is cloudy."

TK nodded slowly, frowning. "What would happen if we didn't go?"

Katya focused again. "They would seek us out, and the fight would be here. It would be bloody…so bloody."

TK frowned more deeply. So, they were going to have to fight one way or another; either here or there. Better there than here, he figured, because less people would be hurt.

"We should go," he said quietly.

Katya said nothing, but silently agreed.

/Wolves/ TK called out.

/Yes/ a mixture of voices replied.

/Finish eating. We leave in ten minutes./

/Yes Takeru./

Next to him, Katya was giving the same message to her lionesses. She sighed heavily when she was done.

"Are you going to be alright?" TK asked quietly.

Katya nodded. "I have to be. We have many more tasks to complete. I'm going to go tell Kosjo good-bye. I'll meet you back here in ten minutes."

TK nodded as he watched her leave. He turned his attention back to the east and sighed. He really hoped that she was wrong about them being defeated. There was so much more they had to do yet.

-

Half an hour later, they were approaching the bluffs. They were fairly large, probably about ten stories high. The seemed to form a complete circle, the only way in was thorugh a narrow passage too small for the Shadow Beasts.

TK could feel that the being he had sensed was within the passage. But, he could still only feel _one _being, not the two that Katya had predicted. Was she wrong, or was one able to shield itself from his powers? He wasn't quite sure. What he did know was that they had to go through that passage, meaning that they had to leave their Shadow Beasts behind.

Glancing at Katya, he realized that she had reached the same conclusion. Simultaneously they dismounted and headed for the passage. Worried, their Shadow Beasts blocked the path.

((You cannot go alone Katya.)) Star pleaded.

((We will be fine. If we run into trouble, we will lure it out so that you may join in the fight. We should have enough power to do that, at least.))

((But-))

((Shhh)) Katya soothed, gently petting the great lioness. ((We will be fine.))

Star bowed her head and said nothing.

Next to them, TK was having a similar conversation with Rage.

/Please, be reasonable…/

/Don't worry about us, everything will be fine. We're just going in to scout for right now, hopefully. And while we're in there, you could look for another way in that could double as an emergency exit. Alright/

Rage growled quietly, unhappy, but respected his master's wishes. /Very well/ was the forced reply.

/Good boy/ he praised softly, patting his head.

"Let's go Katya," he called, heading for the passage once again. Katya nodded and followed.

The passage was just over two feet in width, they estimated, and was slightly twisted. It often branched off as well. TK led the way, following both the passage and instinct. Whenever the passage split, he used his power to determine which way to go. He could feel that they were getting closer.

Suddenly, he looked up sharply and spotted what they were looking for. It was a creature that, as he predicted, looked half-Gryphon/ half-human. The chest, arms, and face were mostly human, save for the bird eyes and claws on the ends of the fingers. There were great golden wings coming from its back, and its legs were that of a lion's. He looked wonderful and horrible at the same time.

He stared down at them from his perch on a high rock, narrowing his eyes. Then, he suddenly leapt off the rock and began to swoop down towards them. They both readied their energy, thinking that he meant to attack.

When he was just a foot or two above them, he changed direction suddenly and flew deeper into the passage. He perched on a rock about forty feet ahead and stared at them, daring them to follow. They took the bait.

They followed him throughout the passage for hundreds of feet, through many twists and turns and side-passages.

They called for him to stop and wait, but he never did. He always stayed about twenty or thirty feet ahead of them. They didn't think to use their powers, as he didn't seem like a threat at the moment. They didn't realize that, by following him, they had completely lost their sense of direction.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the passage began to expand rapidly and they found themsleves in the center of the circle of bluffs in a large open space. The Gryphon/human had disappeared.

"Where are you?" Katya called out. "Show yourself!"

Her voice echoed, but no sound was made in return. They began to walk cautiously more deeply into the open space. They kept their guard up, feeling very vunerable with no Shadow Beasts. TK felt it more-so because he had inexplicably lost all trace of the being; not a good thing.

Suddenly, he could sense it again. It was right behind him. Whirling, he saw the being diving at Katya, claws extended, coming in for the kill. TK barely had time to call upon his Shadow Magic to save her. He shot at the being several times, but it just kept dodging before diving again.

Next to him Katya had recovered from the near-death experience and had called upon her own Light Energy. However, no matter how much they shot at the being, it was always able to dodge in the air.

'_That's it,' _TK realized. _'We have to get him to land.'_

"Katya, follow my lead," he called out, shooting at one of the wings rather than the body. The being was surprised at this course of action and it veered sharply to the left, only to narrowly avoid the Light aimed at his other wing. Panicked, it lost control and landed hard on the ground, scraping up one of its sides badly.

It forced itself into a crouch and watched the approaching Guardians helplessly. It knew it was going to die unless, by miracle, his master came to save him. He clenched his eyes and fists as the Guardians closed in, ready to finish what they had started. They still didn't like killing, but they knew that it was necessary in cases like this.

When they were within a few yards if the quivering being, they raised their hands, ready to give it a quick and relatively painless death. They were just about to strike when the land shook and they were knocked to the ground. Dust from falling rocks clouded their vision and they had to close their eyes and cover their mouths.

When they were finally able to look around again, they saw that something dark and scaly was infront of them, and to either side. Turning around slowly, with dread in their hearts of what they might find, they came face to face with their worst fear.

"Yes my pets," it hissed, leaning down, "I'm back."

-

Back at Castle Shuuko, Akio stood on the roof, looking towards the north. Reverend Kelmio stood next to him.

"What is it boy?" he asked softly.

"Something bad's happening over there," he said in a soft, mature tone. His eyes flashed briefly. "I can feel it."

A/N: Well, there you go. I need reviews if you want me to continue with the next chap! Remember,don't be afraid to ask questions, I know this can probablybe confusing. And ideas are still welcome, if you want to suggest them.


	14. Miyo's power

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Miyo cried out a little and buried her face in Hiroki's shirt when the door began to break open. She felt him reassuringly hold her closer and back towards Kari. She opened her eyes a little and gasped.

"D-daddy…"

"Don't worry it'll be okay," he automatically reassured, still backing away.

"N-no, it's not th-that. L-look," she stuttered, pointing behind them.

Forgetting for a second about the villagers trying to get in through the jagged holes in the door, he turned around and paled. _'Holy shit,'_ was his first thought. He saw Kari standing by one of the hatching eggs, petrified, and was about to call out to her when a burly arm wrapped around his throat.

He was pulled back roughly, choking, and nearly dropped Miyo. It wouldn't have mattered if he had though, because she was pulled out of his arms seconds later. He heard her cry out and struggle, and used his hands to try to pry the arm off of his neck. It was no use though, as several other people came to help the man that was currently holding him. A set of hands grabbed each arm and leg and he was hefted off the floor, stretched out flat.

He continued his futile struggle while trying to see what had become of the others. From the brief glimpses he got, they were in the same position as he was, all fighting, save for Meersa. He didn't have any time to contemplate why that was, though, as, at that moment, he was hit over the head with something _very _hard. His vision swam before he blacked out and fell limp in the hands that were holding him.

-

Kari sighed softly as she woke up. The last thing she remembered was being held up by some angry villagers while watching some of the centipedes emerge from their eggs slowly. Then she felt some pain and blacked out.

She opened her eyes, expecting to find herself back inside the cell. She was surprised to find herself stretched out of a table of some kind. It was tilted at a sharp angle so that she was nearly vertical. She craned her neck as she tried to look around.

"Hiroki?" she called out weakly, "Miyo? Meersa? Is anybody there?"

"Yes, Precious, somebody's here."

Kari whipped her head to the left and saw the same man that had been talking on the alter. He was now smiling at her devilishly.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

"Not that it matters, but I am called Rinjo. I am Master of the centipede creatures."

"You didn't answer my second question, what do you want?"

"I just want that little girl."

"Why? Why Miyo?"

"Miyo? Is that what you call her? No matter. I want her because I want her power."

"What power?"

"Oh, the child has great power, she just lacks the ability and training to use it. I have the training and the ability, so I may as well relieve her of it, no? It is too bad that she will have to die in the exchange, though."

Kari scowled. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"You won't have much of a say," he said, stroking her cheek slightly, smirking as she flinched. "You see, by stumbling on that rookery, you disturbed the eggs. They hatched earlier than expected, and I don't have quite enough food stored to feed them all. However, I believe that you will more than be enough to nourish them."

"You sick bastard," she growled, surprising herself with her language. She had never been one to curse, but she was just so disgusted with this jerk, she couldn't help it.

Rinjo just continued smirking. "Now, now, flattery will get you nowhere." He tilted his head, as though listening to something that Kari couldn't hear.

He turned back to her a few moments later, smirk still on his face. "It seems that my newly born servants are hungry already. I do wish I could stay and watch the show, but I have a sacrifice to get to. So long Precious," he said, leaving through a small door and closing it behind him.

Kai scowled after him and struggled against the straps holding her to the table. She needed to get free so that she could help the others, especially Miyo. But it was no use. The straps were just too strong. And her wind power wasn't going to help as she was having trouble calling upon it. It was almost the same kind of feeling she had when the Numbing Stone had been near her, but to a lesser extent.

She sighed as all she succeeded in doing was making the straps cut into her flesh. She relaxed a bit, trying to think rationally. Suddenly, a scratching sound entered the room. She tensed up, looking around, but saw nothing.

The scratching came again, louder this time. Again it came, sounding like whatever was making it had her surrounded.

Kari held her breath as the scratching suddenly ceased. She wasn't sure what to expect next. When no sound came for a few minutes, she relaxed again. That was a mistake.

As if it had been waiting for her to lower her guard, the sound came back with a vengeance, this time accompanied by grinding metal and crunching wood. Kari's eyes widened as mini-centipedes began to scurry in through holes they made in the room.

She began to struggle violently again, praying that she would be able to get away. The straps cut deeper into her flesh, but she didn't care anymore. Her struggling increased as the creatures scurried towards her, a few dropping from the ceiling. When they reached her, they began to slowly climb up onto the table and on her, as if testing to make sure it was safe.

Kari gulped. While these centipedes were only about half the size of the others, they were still very large and intimidating. She closed her eyes and tried to retreat within herself as the centipedes began cautiously nibbling and prodding her flesh with their razor sharp fangs. She couldn't believe what was happening.

The nibbling and prodding then stopped. Opening her eyes slowly, fearfully, she saw a few of the centipedes poised above her, fangs clicking. She opened her mouth and let out an involuntary scream as they dove for her throat. She felt a sharp pain, and then sweet nothingness.

-

Miyo shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. She was scared out of her mind and was shivering in fear. She was all alone again, for now, and was chained on the alter again. She had been separated from her Mommy and Daddy, and even from that new girl she didn't really know. Now she was in the dark.

The scary man had said that he would be back after he was done with her Mommy and Daddy, but she wished that he would just stay away. He scared her, with his knife and loud voice. He said that she was going to be sacrificed. She didn't really know what that meant, but she could understand that it wasn't going to be good.

Suddenly, a jolt went up and down her spine. She couldn't explain where it had come from, but it was telling her that something was really wrong. Her eyes flashed, and the jolt and bad feeling went away.

She sighed and rested her head on her hands, trying to wake from this horrible nightmare. However, the distinct fear she felt told her that it was real. She turned her head as the door opened and torches flickered on. Her eyes widened as she saw the mean man walk in, followed by some men pushing her Daddy forward. His hands were chained together too. He was struggling, but looked weak.

"Daddy!" she cried out, forcing herself to stand up.

Hiroki's eyes shot over to her. "Miyo! Are you alright!"

Miyo nodded fearfully as Hiroki was forced to his knees a few yards from the alter. His hands were chained to a ring in the ground so that he couldn't move more than a few inches in any direction.

The mean man then walked towards the alter. Miyo shied away instinctively. He smirked and pulled a knife out of a hidden pocket. He kneeled down and pressed it against her neck lightly.

"Are you ready, my little sacrifice?" he cooed.

In the backround Hiroki growled, but was silenced by a couple of punches. The mean man then unlocked the chains binding Miyo's hands and pulled her roughly towards a table on the side of the alter.

Miyo tried to pull away, but she was only 5-years-old and he was a full grown man. She received a slap when she continued her struggle. She felt tears burn her eyes as her cheek stung. She heard her Daddy growl again, but there was really nothing he could do.

Just a few feet away, Hiroki struggled against the chains, trying and failing to call on his fire power. He received a few kicks, warning him to be quiet and stay still, but he ignored them for the most part. Frustrated when his attempts failed, he then thought of something that should have been obvious. He stopped struggling and focused.

""Fury!""

His cry seemed to bounce off a wall and back to him. Confused, he closed his eyes, called upon more energy, and tried again.

""Fury!""

""Hiroki? What is wrong?"" Fury's voice sounded far away and weak.

""Fury! Fury, listen. An evil man has captured us. We need help now! You must come!""

No answer. The weak connection had broken. Hiroki cursed, they were on their own then. He snapped back to attention as he heard Miyo cry out a small meak protest.

He saw that the man, who had identified himself as Rinjo, was forcing Miyo onto a table. He spread her out on her back and strapped her wrists and ankles down. She whimpered in fear and tried to pull away, but the restraints wouldn't allow it.

Rinjo then walked over to a long table on the back of the alter and picked up a sharpening stone which he used to begin sharpening the knife. He smiled maliciously as he did this, enjoying Miyo's look of fear and Hiroki's look of rage. When he had finished sharpening the knife, he pulled out a small vile and advanced back towards Miyo slowly, wanting to draw out the suffering.

Hiroki struggled and was kicked and punched again, but he didn't let it deter him. He went deep within himself, searching for a way to use his fire powers. He knew he needed to get out of here and save Miyo. Hikari too, wherever she was.

-

Something was wrong, something was very wrong.

That was the thought that ran through Kari's head as she took in her surroundings. She had woken up and found herself in what looked to be desolate ruins. There were crumbling walls, covered in ivy, and fragments of pottery and such scattered amidst rubble.

But, the ruins weren't what bothered her. The fact that it was completely silent and void of _any_ motion was what worried her. Looking around curiously, she saw that the ruins seemed to go in one general direction. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she followed the path cautiously, being aware for any danger that might be lurking.

She hadn't gone very far when she felt a slight pressure on her foot. Looking down, she jerked back and yelped. The green and black snake that had been crawling over her shoe hissed, annoyed, before continuing its journey. It slithered lazily across the broken path and disappeared into one of the holes in the wall.

Kari sighed, relieved that it hadn't been a threat, and continued. The further she went along the path, the more life that seemed to exist. She saw many snakes and spiders and other creepy crawly things in the ivy and on the walls. None seemed to bother her, though, provided she kept her distance, so she continued even further.

She noticed a growing unease about the creatures that she encountered as she went along. They were jumpy, disoriented. And she didn't blame them.

The more she walked, the more she could sense a darkness lying ahead. Evil, she could tell, but….not necessarily _bad._ She didn't understand it. She knew she should turn back now, she knew it, but she just couldn't. She _had _to find out what this strange darkness was.

She started, surprised, when a door seemed to come out of nowhere. Hesitantly, she reached out, just brushing the wood with her fingertips. She jumped back when it opened. She tried to look beyond, but could see nothing but pitch black.

'_This is way too creepy,' _she thought, about to turn around and just leave. The bad feeling inside her had gotten worse.

"Don't leave Wind Elemental," cooed a soft voice. "You are meant to come through."

Kari's head whipped back to the door. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"Come, and you will see. Worry not, my Guardian, no harm shall befall you here."

Kari stepped towards the door, but stopped herself. How did she know that this voice wasn't evil? But…the woman didn't sound evil…and her voice gave Kari a warm feeling.

She stepped forward suddenly, towards the black, not letting herself second guess her actions. She gasped loudly as the black encompassed her. It closed in on her mind, seeming like it was trying to engulf it. It made her limbs stiff, and it was slightly difficult to breathe. It scared her.

"Be not afraid, my Guardian, you are nearly through. Just a few steps more."

Gulping, Kari took those last few steps, not knowing where they would take her. Before she knew it, she was out of the black.

She was in a room with statues of slightly demonic beasts all around. A gray mist clung to the floor. Ahead of her, she saw a terrifying dark doorway of some sort. It was emitting the bad feeling she felt. It flashed imposingly every so often, and Kari was tempted to back even further away. However, she was not ready to go back into the black yet.

She simply watched as a snake came through the black as well, seeming to be physically drawn to the door. It was struggling and hissing in alarm, but to no avail. When it got within a foot or two of the doorway, it exploded.

Kari yelped in surprise and alarm. Would that happen to her if she got too close? She shuddered at the thought. She jumped again as a hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned and found herself looking at a floating woman.

"My Guardian," the woman greeted, "Welcome to the Underworld."

-

Miyo struggled against the hand holding her chin and trying to force her mouth open. She didn't want what was in that vile, and she had no plans of drinking it. However, her size caused her struggle to be futile, yet again.

Rinjo pried her mouth open and proceeded to pour the vile of horrid tasting stuff down her throat. She coughed and gagged, but he just kept pouring. Her need of air forced her to swallow. When he released her chin, she sank back, gasping for air slightly.

She shook involuntarily as he slowly raised the knife. She whimpered and closed her eyes as it was raised above his head and he prepared to strike.

"NO!" Hiroki yelled as Rinjo started to bring the knife down.

Rinjo paid no attention to him or the whimpering girl, he only concentrated on driving that sacred knife as deep into the small girl's flesh as he could. When the knife point was within mere centimeters of the girl, it was stopped.

Rinjo stared in surprise, a look that turned to horror as he felt the energy around him growing. He was flung away from the table, landing hard against the wall. He was dazed, but not unconscious. Looking up at the alter, he saw that the girl was tense, eyes clenched, in the middle of the great energy engulfing the room.

The energy swirled around her before expanding, causing anything and everything to shatter or break. The guards were thrown away from Hiroki, but the boy was unharmed. His restraints snapped, but that was the only thing that happened to him.

The energy, however, didn't stop. It hit the walls of the room with such force that the bricks began to crumble. A weaker section of the room crumbled, falling on, and killing, the two guards beneath it.

Then, it headed for Rinjo. The man felt the psuedo-Numbing Stone in his pocket shatter, cutting deep into his thigh. Then the knife that he had miraculously held onto was ripped from his hands. It whirled around and around, suspended by the energy. He watched, frozen, as it whipped around him, coming uncomfortably close.

Then, the knife seemed to disappear. He breathed a small sigh of relief, thinking that the most dangerous object around was away from him now. Suddenly, he made a small choking sound, hands going to his chest. Or, more specifically, the object buried in it.

His hands clumsily groped at the hilt of the knife sticking out of the middle of his torso. He was in shock, so he couldn't feel the pain yet. He hacked sharply and felt blood dribble down his chin. Collapsing against the wall and sliding down, he finally felt the pain. It was sharp, yet powerful. He thanked the Darkness when his vision began to fade, signalling that death was close. The last thing he wanted was to be alive when that child's full power was unleashed.

From the side of the room, Hiroki watched Rinjo's death with wide eyes. Was he imagining things, or was Miyo behind all of this? He couldn't believe that sweet, innocent little Miyo had this kind of power. It just wasn't possible…was it? He was jerked out of his thoughts by a desperate cry.

"Daddy! Daddy, help me!"

His head snapped up and he saw Miyo struggling on the table. She looked terrified. He tried to get up to help her, but the force of the energy forced him back down. Gritting his teeth, he began to crawl towards her slowly, concern and adrenaline fueling him.

On the table, Miyo was frightened beyond belief. All of this energy was circling _her_, surging through _her_. She tried to stop the energy, but she couldn't control it. It just kept getting more and more powerful. It was draining her, she could feel it. She couldn't escape. Not sure what else to do, she called out for help from the one person she knew was around and would save her. Her Daddy.

"Daddy!" she cried out again, feeling tears beginning to run down her cheeks.

"Hang on Miyo!" Hiroki called back.

He had made it to the alter finally, and was attempting to pull himself up over the side. It took a few tries, but he was able to get on top of the stone platform. Staying close to the ground, he proceeded to make his way over to the table. The closer he got, the more repulsion he felt from the energy, but he kept pushing his way through.

Finally, he reached the table. Grabbing the side with his hands, he pulled himself up and quickly untied the straps holding Miyo down. He pulled her close as he crouched down, not sure what to do next.

"Make it stop Daddy!" she pleaded. "It's too much, make it stop!"

Internally fumbling for an idea, he decided to just let instinct take over. He began to gently rock her, murmuring comforting phrases, assuring that it would be alright. Gradually, she began to calm down. As she calmed, so did the storm of energy in the room. Suddenly, she fell limp, exhausted. At the same moment, the energy disappeared completely.

Hiroki stood upright shakily, keeping Miyo close. Forcing his unsure legs forward, he started towards the door. He turned his head and closed his eyes briefly as he passed the skewered Rinjo. The bastard had deserved it, if not more, but the gore still bothered him. He was glad Miyo was unable to see. As he approached the door, he briefly wondered if the energy had gone past this room.

He didn't have to wonder for long. As soon as he opened the door, he saw blood, lots of blood. On the ground were corpses of centipedes and villagers alike. Some bodies were completely destroyed, but many were mostly intact.

His breath caught in his throat as he saw two specific figures in the midst of the rest of the bodies. Bernadette and Jonas. His Ma and Pa. Strength gone, he dropped to his knees by them. Their faces looked peaceful, and their bodies were intact. For that, he was thankful. However, they were still dead; a thought that sent sharp pangs through his heart.

Closing his eyes and sighing heavily, he began to stand again. There was no point in staying to grieve, they were dead, that wouldn't change. And in a small part of his mind, he was thankful. He was sure that they were better off where they were now than how they had been here, having Rinjo controlling them.

With a grim yet determined look on his face, he started to walk down the halls again. While he could do nothing for the dead, there was one person that he needed to find that he knew was still alive. Or, at least, he hoped so.

'_Hang on Hikari, I'm coming.'_

-

"So, this will give me back my life, but it won't heal me? Is that what you're saying?" Kari asked, somewhat skeptically after hearing what the Angel of Death had to say about her mysterious Life Force Stone.

"Yes," the Angel of Death replied. "It will allow you to return to your body and will then heal it at a normal pace."

"What body?" Kari scoffed. "The centipedes will have devoured it completely by now."

"They never had the chance my Lady Guardian."

Kari looked up sharply. "What are you talking about?"

The Angel of Death smiled mischieviously. "It is not something I can explain. You must find out on your own."

Kari frowned. "Fine, I'll use it. Just tell me how."

"Concentrate, and you will know my Lady."

Kari's frowned deepened a little as she concentrated on the airy blue stone within an even lighter blue barrier. Without thinking, she brought the crystal up to her chest and pushed in slightly. She gasped as it became absorbed into her. At first, it wasn't painful, only different. But then…

She cried out and dropped to her knees as the blue crystal itself began to meld with her skin. It felt as though her entire body was on fire. She felt the Angel of Death's cool hands brush gently over her face soothingly. It was hard to be calm, though, as the pain intensified. Suddenly, all went black.

-

"Hikari? Hikari, where are you?" Hiroki called desperately as he ran through the maze of halls that composed the central building.

He had been searching for Hikari for nearly half an hour, and had yet to find any trace. To make matters worse, the shockwaves from the energy had severely weakened the building, and it was getting closer and closer to collapsing every minute.

"Hikari!" he called out again.

"She is this way," came Meersa's voice.

Hiroki whirled around and saw the girl standing just a foot or two away. He didn't have time to ponder how she had gotten behind him so suddenly as she grabbed his upper arm and dragged him further along and to the right. He struggled to keep up without dropping Miyo. They reached a door just seconds later, and beyond it, Hiroki saw Hikari.

But, all around Hikari, was more blood. Pieces of centipede flesh were scattered, and it looked as though all of the creatures that had been in here had been completely obliterated. Save Hikari.

He ran over to her, gasping as he got closer. He hadn't noticed before, but she had four large wounds on her neck, all bleeding profusely. He feared she was dead and nearly collapsed in relief as he noticed that she was breathing shallowly. His relief was short lived as the room they were in began to creak loudly, a sign that the supports were failing.

"We have to get out of here!" called Meersa.

"I know," Hiroki snapped, trying to figure out how he was going to get Miyo and Hikari out of here when they were both unconscious.

Suddenly Meersa snatched Miyo from him. "Grab your lover and let's go!"

Hiroki blushed slightly, but did as she said. Quickly tearing a strip of cloth from his shirt and tying it around her neck loosely, but firmly, he hoisted her onto his back and head towards the door after Meersa.

"Where to now?" he asked loudly over the ever increasing creaking.

Meersa made no reply, but headed to the left. Grumbling, Hiroki followed closely, not wanting to lose sight of her in the cloud of dust that was falling from the rafters. Suddenly, she stopped. Hiroki nearly ran into her.

"Why are we stopping?" he demanded.

"The door's locked, genius," was the snappish reply. "The fake Numbing Stone is gone, so you can use your power to break through. Come on, hurry!"

Not giving Meersa's rudeness a second thought, he began to concentrate. Meersa had been right, he could feel his power now. Carefully locking on the door hinges as targets, he released small bursts of intense fire. The hinges melted into nothing on contact and the door fell halfway forward, held up only by the padlock.

"Come on!" Meersa urged, running through.

Hiroki didn't have to be told twice. Carefully, he stepped over the debris and found himself in the crisp night air. Sighing in relief, he continued to follow Meersa throughout the streets. He felt Hikari stir on his back.

"Hiroki?" she croaked out, wincing at the pain in her neck.

"Don't try to talk yet Hikari," he replied softly. "You're still hurt."

Kari frowned as she tried to recall exactly why she was hurt. It all came rushing back to her. Rinjo, the centipedes, the Underworld, and the Life Force Crystal.

"Miyo," she forced out in a slightly panicked voice, "Where's Miyo?"

"She's safe," Hiroki assured. "Get some rest now, we'll be camping soon."

Kari gave a nearly imperceptible nod as she let her head lie limply on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Hiroki smiled in relief, glad that she was going to be okay. Then, he noticed something in the sky. Or rather, _two _somethings.

""Fury?"" he asked, tenatively.

""Hiroki"" came the relieved reply. ""I am so sorry, my master.""

""I told you, just call me Hiroki. And why are you sorry?""

""We were attacked and couldn't reach you. We failed in our duty to protect you.""

""Everything worked out, and it's not like you could have helped it. Now tell me, is there a good place to camp around here? We may need to stay in one place for a while"" he added, thinking of Hikari's condition.

""To the northwest, Hiroki, follow us"" the great figures in the sky turned and flew in a definate direction.

"Come on Meersa, this way," he called, changing course.

Meersa sighed and followed. She couldn't remember why she had agreed to help these people, she had always been a loner, and could have easily gotten away herself ages ago. Oh right, she was helping them because they were two of the Guardians and the Watcher had told her that it was her duty to help them.

She sighed again. She had always hated duty.

-

They reached the campsite about half an hour later. It was a clearing in a ring of trees, easily hidden from enemies. Hiroki gently laid Hikari down on the ground. Her eyes fluttered and she muttered something, but soon fell back into a deep sleep. Looking over, he saw Meersa laying Miyo down. The smaller girl was beginning to rouse.

Making sure that Hikari was alright, he rushed over to Miyo. He didn't want the girl to be frightened by waking up and seeing someone she didn't know. He was just about to lift Miyo, when Meersa stopped him by grabbing his wrists and sending a glare.

"She needs to be healed," the older girl said in a tone that dared him to defy her.

He stared back, unhappily, but did not try to retrieve Miyo again. He watched silently as Meersa began to chant softly in a language he didn't know. She placed her finger tips on Miyo's temples, and her hands began to glow slightly. Miyo shifted a little, but otherwise was still. After a few minutes, Meersa sat back.

"She will be well now. Stay with her while I heal your lover."

Hiroki was about to protest that Hirkari was _not _his lover, but decided to just be quiet and do as the elder girl had ordered. Scooping Miyo into his arms, he sat and watched as Meersa unwrapped the bandage covering Kari's neck. He winced as he saw how much blood was on it.

He saw Meersa place her glowing fingertips on the wounds and begin to chant again. His eyes widened as he saw the flesh begin to heal, closing itself up. Soon, they were just a few red spots, that was all.

He then saw Hikari stir and open her eyes. He rushed over and dropped down, holding the now semi-awake Miyo. He gently helped Hikari into a sitting position, still amazed by what had happened.

Hikari smiled at him and threw her arms around his neck. "We're safe for now," she murmmered, petting Miyo's hair.

"Thanks mostly to Meersa," Hiroki replied, turning around to face the elder. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Still holding onto him, Kari nodded her thanks as well.

Meersa allowed a small smile to grace her face. Maybe these Guardians weren't _so _bad. Suddenly she tilted her head, appearing to listen to something that the others couldn't hear.

"I must go now," she said quietly. "Take care Guardians, it's too early for you to die just yet."

With that, she flicked her wrist and a small 'rip' in the air appeared, glowing white. Meersa turned away from the group and stepped into this 'rip', disappearing instantly. The 'rip' then sealed itself.

The three humans, plus the two birds, stared at the place where the portal had been, uncomprehending. Suddenly, Hiroki got an indignant look on his face.

"Hey! If she could do that the whole time, then why didn't she help us out earlier?" he fumed.

Kari smiled. "I don't know, but she must have had a good reason." Suddenly, a strong tugging feeling entered her mind from the northeast. "Hiroki, do you feel that?" she asked quietly.

Hiroki stopped his silent fuming and tilted his head in concentration. A surprised look came over his face. "Yeah, I do. But…what is it?" he asked, staring in the direction it was coming from.

Kari frowned, wondering the same thing. Then, it dawned on her. "Pomarius. It must be Pomarius," she said breathlessly. She jumped up and headed for Whisper, "Come on, we're getting closer!"

Hiroki smiled and rose too, holding Miyo. He shared her excitement as well. After all these months of traveling, it would be good to finally reach their destination.As he climbed onto Fury, he cast one last look at the city behind them. Sorrow briefly passed through him as he thought of what had become of his folks, but he replaced it with determination. As he had thought earlier, he could do nothing for them now, but he could do much for Hiata.

'_It's what they would have wanted,' _he thought as Fury rose into the air and headed to the northeast.

He looked over at Hikari and smiled before looking down at Miyo. He had a feeling that, as long as they were together, there was nothing that could stop them. He only prayed that that feeling was right.

-

"Your plan failed old man," the defiant woman snarled. "They escaped, and now they are even stronger."

The old man glared at the woman in annoyance. "Actually, I think the plan was a success. We learned more about their power than we knew before, and now know what we must defeat."

"But, if they reach Pomarius, they will become even stronger!" the woman protested. "How will we defeat them then?"

"Silence!" the old man roared. "We will deal with that when and if they reach Pomarius. We are not the only ones after them, remember. I'm sure their old enemy wants them to reach Pomarius even less than we do. Let her deal with their new power. At best, it will destroy all of them, at worst it will give us valuable information."

The woman growled quietly. "This had better work old man."

"Don't worry, my dear," he snarled back. "It will."

A/N: If you're confused about the different description of the Underworld, remember, it appears uniquely to everyone. Takeru, being the Shadow Mage, found it inviting, while Hikari found it slightly intimidating. For Takeru, the souls were represented by brilliant lights, while snakes and spiders represented them for Hikari.

I need reviews if you want me to continue! Until next time, ciao!


	15. Second escape

Disclaimer: I _still _don't own Digimon.

A/N: Okay,fanfiction's format is messed up and won't let me have any question marks at the ends of the slashes, so there won't be any question marks when TK and his wolves are communicating. Just so you know, it's not my fault and it's bugging the crap out of me! _/hits head on computer./_

RinoaHeart7/_blushes/ _Thanks for the great review, I really don't think I'm that good of a writer. Anyway, since you alreadyfigured it out, I'll just tell you now that, yes, Katya and Hiroki do both die. It gets repetitive, I know, but it's needed for the story as you'll see later. And, I have to apologize and say that this chap. probably won't clear up hardly any questions, but the next one with TK and Katya _will_. So, just bear with me, please.

Now, onto the next chap, please enjoy!

TK lay on his side, breathing heavily, trying to recover from his latest 'punishment.' It had been two weeks since Isan had trapped them in the center of those bluffs. They had been too surprised and scared to react right away, and even when they could react, they were no match.

They had been knocked out, and brought here, to another of Isan's keeps, not far from the oasis. They were separated now, and TK had no idea how Katya was. He hoped that she wasn't being beaten like he was, but knew that it was a definate possibility. He lifted his head slightly as a door was thrown open. He prayed it wasn't Isan coming to fetch him, he wasn't sure he could survive another 'punishment' just yet.

He sighed dejectedly as he heard Isan's voice, but perked as he heard a feminine one as well. Katya!

He jumped up, ignoring the searing pain, and rushed to the front of the cell he was in. Peering through the bars, he saw Katya fighting against Isan, and losing horribly. Isan looked both annoyed and slightly amused as Katya began punching and kicking him, having used up almost all of her energy and not being able to call on her Light.

"Murderer!" she yelled, voice cracking. "You filthy butchering bastard!" with each word, she twisted against his hold and landed a foot or fist on his scaly skin.

TK could see that she was dangerously low on energy. "Katya!" he called out, hoping to stop her. "Stop this Katya, you're going to destroy yourself! Please, don't do this!"

Katya's head whipped over to him; eyes flashing first with relief, then with grief and anger.

"The village," she exclaimed quietly, voice breaking. "He destroyed the village. He killed everyone! Now my whole family is gone! You son of a whoring bitch!" she yelled, directing her attention and struggles back to Isan.

Isan's expression lost all hint of amusement and he backhanded Katya, sending her to the ground. She cried out as her fresh 'punishment' wounds were jolted. Isan toward over her, continuing to slap her with both his hands and his tail. When he hit her with the latter, long scratches were left from the spikes.

He continued beating her for several minutes, ignoring TK's loud protests.

In his cell, TK was fuming, trying with all of his might to find a way to protect Katya. He looked inside himself for his Shadow power, feeling slightly discouraged when he found himself nearly drained empty. But, that didn't stop him from trying to dig deeper for the energy.

Suddenly, as he went even deeper, his mind began to spin, he couldn't understand. It began to spiral; down, down, down. It was engulfed in Shadows, it was being drowned. Panicked, he pulled his mind away from the energy in himself, back to the present.

Looking up, he saw that Isan had stopped hitting Katya, and was looking at him with an amused curiousity. Striking Katya one last time, he turned to leave, but not before sending a meaningful look at TK. The boy ignored it, focusing on the more important matter.

"Katya! Katya are you alright!" TK asked frantically after Isan had left.

The girl was laying on her back, gasping for air. Her eyes were half shut, and her hands were clenched.

"Katya!" TK exclaimed again when there was no answer, or even movement, from the girl. "Katya, answer me!"

"Ta…ker…u," was all she mummered before going completely limp, breathing hitching before stopping completely.

"Katya! Katya!" TK cried out, not sure why he was so upset. After all, he had been to the Underworld and returned, what indication was there that Katya wouldn't return as well?

But still, if he was Dark and she was Light, how would she find the Underworld? If it had been inviting to him, would it be frightening for her? And if it was, would she be brave enough to accept the Life Force Crystal? He knew he probably wouldn't have accepted it as easily as he had if the surroundings hadn't been so inviting, hadn't made him feel comfortable.

As he stared at her now-still form, he prayed that she would make the right decision and come back to him. He needed her. He really did.

"Hello?" Katya called out timidly. "Is anyone here? Takeru? Anybody?"

Cautiously, she walked a few steps forward. A rustling came from behind her. She spun around and let out a yelp as two red, glowing lights peirced the darkness. Then, they were gone. Letting out a shaky breath, she turned back around and continued down the broken passageway.

The passageway she was in was a stone one, and it was falling apart. Every few feet or so, there would be a pile of rubble somewhere in the corridor. The only light came from sparsely placed torches that were dimly lit at best.

After she tripped over the third or fourth pile of rubble, it finally occurred to her to use her Light. She carefully formed a small ball a let it float a few feet in front of her, lighting the way. She idly wondered why she hadn't thought of it earlier.

Now that the corridor was lit, she could see more of its details. She saw that, every so often, there would be a stone sculpture of a demonic creature to the side of the path. The areas directly between these sculptures and the walls were completely black and not even her Light could disintegrate the shadows. A few times, she thought she saw red flashes in the dark, and wasn't sure she even wanted to know what the shadows hid.

After nearly an hour of walking, she found that the tunnel seemed to twist and turn forever. She wondered if she would ever reach the end. Slightly out of breath, she stopped for a second, placing one hand on her knee and the other on the wall. She noticed that the wall under her hand seemed fragile and very bumpy.

Looking over curiously, she screamed and yanked her hand back. There was a skeleton on the wall! A _skeleton!_ She hadn't noticed it before, even with her Light. Legs shaking, she backed away slowly before quickly turning and half-jogging down the tunnel.

'_Okay, this place is _way _too weird for me! I want out! But, how do I get out? I don't even know where I am. Oh, I'd give anything for a way out of here.'_

As soon as she finished that last thought, she found herself face to face with a door that seemed to appear out of nowhere. She yelped slightly and lept back. She sighed and shook her head.

'_I must be going crazy, thinking that doors just 'appear'. Well, then again, this _is _Hiata. I suppose anything's possible.'_

"Yes, anything is," came a soft and sweet female voice.

"Who's there?" Katya demanded, jumping a bit.

The door in front of her creaked open slowly.

"Come through and see," replied the soft voice. "and do not fear, nothing will happen to you here."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Katya challenged.

"Lord Takeru trusts me," was the soft reply. "If you trust him, you can trust me as well."

Katya was speechless. How did this woman know Takeru? More importantly, was she telling the truth about Takeru trusting her? She frowned slightly as she tried to look beyond the door. However, it was pitch black, and she couldn't see a thing. Her gut told her that whatever was beyond that door was dark, not evil, but dark. The woman was another story. Katya's gut told her that the woman could be trusted.

Figuring she had nothing to lose, she stepped through the door. She gasped loudly as the black that had been shielding the door became palpable, surrounding her. It became more dense, she couldn't breathe! She tried to left her hands to get whatever it was away from her airway, but her arms felt like lead weights. She was seriously doubting her gut feeling right now.

"Come through Guardian, 'tis not much further. Here, give me your hand."

Through the black, she saw a pale hand extend its fingers towards her. It was only a few feet away, she could make it, she knew she could. Forcing her panic down and pushing her heavy legs forward, she walked towards the hand slowly. When she was close enough, she forced her arm to lift and grabbed the slender pale fingers. The fingers closed around her hand and pulled her through the rest of the black.

Gasping for breath, she continued to cling to the hand. When she had regained her senses, she looked up at her savior and gasped, dropping the hand. Floating next to her was a lovely pale woman, dress and hair swirling around her. A white stone floated in front of her chest.

The woman smiled down kindly and offered her hand again. "Welcome my Lady Light Mage."

"Welcome to where?" Katya muttered absently as she took the offered hand.

"The Underworld, my Lady. The passage between life and death. I am the Angel of Death, protecter of this place."

Looking around, Katya took in the Underworld. There were more demonic statues lining a path that led to a horribly frightening energized portal. Sparks hissed within it, the occasional few lashing out and grabbing onto a red flash of light. These red flashes of light let out a beastly cry before disappearing. Katya shuddered and shifted closer to the Angel of Death.

"Be not afraid, my Lady," the Angel of Death cooed soothingly. "The Portal of Death will not harm you. It wishes you alive."

"Alive?" Katya asked, surprised. "I was under the impression that I was already dead. I mean, I _am _in the Underworld."

"So was Lord Takeru, before he returned."

Katya was rendered speechless again.

"And you may return as well, my Lady, if that is your wish," the Angel of Death continued, barely pausing.

"How? How is that possible?"

"Come my Lady," the Angel said, pulling Katya's hand slightly.

Katya followed with no protest, feeling safe with this woman. She was led to a corner of the room, away from the Portal of Death. For that, she was grateful. The Angel of Death dropped the young girl's hand, motioned for her to stand still, and went to go retrieve something.

As Katya stood, she wondered what object the Angel of Death had that could allow her to live again. The Angel returned shortly, holding what looked like a white glowing ball in her hands. Upon closer inspection, Katya saw that it wasn't a white glowing ball, but a white crystal surrounded by a white aura. It was beautiful. Katya instinctively raised her hand towards it.

"Here, my Lady. 'Tis your Life Force Stone," the Angel said, handing it to the younger girl. "It was made indirectly for you."

"Indirectly?"

The Angel smiled. "I mean, the person who made it does not know that he has made it. Should you choose to use it, you can return to the land of the living. The only catches are that you will not be healed, and you will be the Portal of Death's servant. It will not ask much, but you must do what it asks. The choice is completely up to you."

Katya fell silent, looking at the glowing crystal in her hands. She wasn't sure how she felt about not being healed, and especially about being a 'servant' to the Portal of Death, but if she got another chance at life…Besides, if she died she'd have to leave her lionesses, Akio, and Takeru behind. Even though she would be with her family, she wasn't sure it would be worth it. And she _did _have a destiny to complete.

"Alright, I'll do it," she said, looking back up at the Angel of Death with a determined face. "You just tell me how."

Still in his cell, TK growled at the two Garians who were moving Katya. They were being quite rough, even though the girl was obviously very injured. The Garians just sneered at him as they threw Katya into a cell across from his. Then, they turned their full attention to him.

Walking over, they took out the keys to his cell.

"Don't even think of trying anything," one of them warned, though they all knew he was too low on energy to do much damage.

TK growled as they unlocked his cell. They quickly pinned his arms to his sides, one snapping a chain onto his god-forsaken collar. He growled again as he was yanked down the hall. He had all but forgotten about the collar until he was recaptured, and Isan started using it against him again, treating him like a pet.

"Where are you taking me?" TK asked, trying to jerk away from the Garian who was pinning his arms behind him uncomfortably.

"Stop fighting boy," the Garian snapped, slapping him and pointedly ignoring his question.

TK muttered curses under his breath, yet ceased his futile struggling. He looked up as they stopped in front of a door. One of the Garians pushed it open and he was pushed inside. He saw that it was a rather plain room, with just a few chains on the walls and floor, and a couple boxes lying around. He inwardly shuddered as he saw Isan 'sitting' off to the side, watching.

The two Garians kneeled and forced TK to his knees as well. They then pushed his head down so that his forehead was touching the ground. He fought a little, but was already very weak.

"Here he is Master," one of the Garians announced.

"Good," resounded Isan's voice. "Leave us."

The two Garians nodded and left. TK sat up and glared at the Shadowlore who was advancing slowly.

"Well, my pet," Isan started off leisurely. "I see that you have acquired a new ability while we were separated. But it seems that you can't control it since you didn't use it when I was hurting your precious companion, you hid from it instead. I bet I could help you with that," he hissed, grabbing TK's chin and forcing him to look up.

TK tired to pull away, disgusted, but Isan kept a tight hold on him.

"Just tell me exactly what this new power is and I'll help you control it, yes?"

"Over my dead body," TK replied dangerously softly, glaring at Isan.

Isan growled and backhanded the boy, sending him all the way to the ground. He then dragged him over to one of the sets of manacles on the floor. After securing him, he slithered over to one of the boxes. TK gulped as he saw a whip being pulled out.

Isan turned to him with a malicious look in his eyes. "Last chance pet."

TK remained silent, not willing to give in, but afraid his voice might betray the fear he felt.

Isan growled slightly. "Very well. But remember, you brought this upon yourself." With that, he raised the whip.

The next 20 minutes was a blur to TK. A loud, angry, _painful _blur. Though it only lasted 20 minutes, in his mind, Isan couldn't have left soon enough. So now he was here, hunched over in the middle of the floor, back stinging from the whip marks. He didn't dare try to lie all the way down, or move at all, because he knew it would only bring more pain. He settled for sitting on his knees and curling over so that his head was on his lap. It was the position he had been whipped in for most of the time, so it was one of the least painful.

Outside the room, he heard some of the guards pacing and talking, but he couldn't make out words. Everything sounded fuzzy to him. Everything looked fuzzy too. With a heavy sigh, he finally gave in to his exhaustion and passed out.

A winged figure silently watched the hurt boy in Isan's dungeon from the high windowsill. He pitied the boy, more than anyone could imagine. He winced inwardly as the young one unconsciously moaned in pain.

Making sure the coast was clear, the figure spread his wings and glided down to the concrete floor. Landing silently a few feet from the boy, the man cautiously approached said boy.

He sighed in relief as he saw that the younger was asleep, or passed out as it was. While he wanted to help the boy, he needed to heed Kelmio's warning about being seen. The boy _could not _see him yet. It would ruin everything.

However, the boy couldn't see him if he wasn't conscious, so it was okay to bend the rules a bit.

The man approached the boy slowly still, not wanting to wake him. Crouching down next to the young one, the man carefully examined the wounds on the youth's back. None were very deep, but all would be painful. Though, perhaps, the healing could be sped.

Retrieving a salve from a pouch at his hip, the man got some on his fingertips and softly dabbed it on the open wounds. He froze as the boy whimpered and moved. Thinking quickly, he gently wrapped his dark wings around the boy, supporting him, and giving him a feathery surface on which to fall back asleep.

It seemed to work, but the man wanted to be sure that the boy wouldn't wake while the rest of the salve was being applied, so he began to speak soothingly in the Old Tongue. It was a very smooth sounding language that could almost always lull a person to sleep.

"**_Be calm young Shadow Mage,"_** he whispered, while gently applying some of the salve. **_"Your suffering here will end shortly. You shall survive this easily, I foresee, and go on to do a great many things, young one."_**

"**_What great things?"_** the boy mumbled softly, still pretty much asleep.

The man froze. How did this boy know the Old Tongue? For one thing, he grew up on Earth, didn't he? And the Old Tongue was only known by a few of the more powerful beings, it had been lost to the rest. Where could this human boy possibly have learned it in the few months that he had been on Hiata?

"**_What great things?"_** the boy repeated insistently, though he was no more awake than before.

Deciding he should answer the boy before he decided to awake, the man replied softly. **_"Oh, a great many things. You are a Guardian, and that simple fact ensures that you will be a savior, perhaps more. Your life, and the lives of the other Guardians as well, will be one of the most important Hiata has ever supported. You hold our hopes and dreams young one. You will save us."_**

"**_How do you know?"_** the boy asked, troubled.

"**_I am old, I know many things. But, one does not have to be a genius to know to expect great things from the fabled Guardians."_** As he had been talking, he had finished applying the salve. He ran gentle fingers through the troubled boy's hair.**_ "Sleep now young one. You will need your strength for the trials to come."_**

The boy, who was already mostly asleep, decided to take the man's advice. He snuggled into the dark wings and his breathing slowed, indicating that he had fallen into a very deep sleep.

The man watched seriously as the boy sleeped. He had not been lying when he said that the boy would need his strength for the trials to come. This time with Isan would seem like a walk in the park compared to some of the things he would have to go through.

The man looked up suddenly as the sound of quiet footsteps entered the room. Twisting his head and expecting to see an enemy, he breathed a sigh of relief when a friendly face appeared. Well, the face of a friend anyway…though it wasn't exactly friendly looking at the moment.

"Meersa?" the man asked quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she shot back.

"I'm helping him," was the bristled reply.

Meersa hmphed. "Last I checked, that was _my _job. It is too dangerous for you to help him yet, he might see you. You know as well as I that he is not to see you until later in his journey."

"We know that," he snapped, "But we can't just sit and do nothing."

"_We?_ So, _she's _here also?"

"Yes, she's with Katya, of course."

Meersa sighed, irritated. "Leave."

"What?" the man challenged.

"You heard me. Leave. I can take care of them now, I will help them find a way to escape. You two shouldn't have come here in the first place." She sighed again and added in a gentler tone. "You have already done all you can by putting that salve on the wounds. You must wait until the time is right before you do anything more."

The man sighed and looked back down at the boy. "I know. I'll go now, and she will too."

Gently, he lowered the boy to the floor. Lying him on his side, he withdrew his wings and stood.

"Take care of them," he said quietly, with underlying warning in his tone.

"I will," Meersa assured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Go now, dawn is approaching, and you must be back at your home before then."

The man nodded, spread his wings, and flew up to the windowsill with just one flap. Casting one last look at the two figures below, he leapt off the windowsill and flew into the night sky.

Meersa watched him go and shook her head. Stupid, stubborn man. Oh well, she sighed as she returned her attention to the boy on the floor. Kneeling down, she quickly checked over his wounds. The man had done a good job of fixing him up. He would be ready to escape the next day, probably, which was good, considering that the girl would need his strength.

Placing a light psychic barrier around the room so that she could sense any approaching presense, she sat down on the air, as if there was an invisible stool, and sent a message to to the woman with Katya, telling her to leave as well. The woman blocked it at first so, sighing again, she had made it verbal. That, at least had gotten the woman's attention and convinced her to leave. Now, all she could do was wait.

As TK came to consciousness, he briefly wondered why he was so sore. Then, his punishment from the previous night flashed back into his mind. Along with something else. The memory of a very strange dream.

He had dreamt that someone, a man, had come to help him. He had put something on the whipmarks while holding him in large dark wings. Then, the man had spoken a strange language, yet TK had understood. He had even answered in that strange, smooth tongue. Then the man had told him to go back to sleep, and that was the last he remembered.

He raised his head and opened his eyes as he heard someone breathing. He was afraid it was Isan. He was very surprised to see a girl just slightly older than him _floating _there. She had stringy blonde hair and dull gray eyes. Her very pale and thin figure was covered only by a ragged dress.

She regarded him with seemingly little emotion.

"You're awake? Good. We've much to do." With that, she stepped off her imaginary stool and bent down to fiddle with the chains binding him.

TK forced himself up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his back. "Wh-who are you?" he croaked, throat dry.

"My name is Meersa," was the short reply. "Hold still."

TK obeyed, not feeling any evil from this girl. Mystery, yes, but not evil. As he watched, she held onto his wrists, muttered something, and pulled his wrists _through _the manacles.

"H-how did you do that?"

"Simple craft," she replied, again shortly. She held out her hand to him as she stood. "Come on, Isan will be here shortly, and we must make sure that you are out of here by then. You must at least be reunited with the other Guardian."

TK moved quickly at the mention of Katya. "How is she?" he asked frantically.

"Shhh," Meersa hissed, placing two fingers on his lips. "She is well. Now follow me. _Quietly._"

TK nodded as they headed for the door. Meersa paused, probing the hallway with her psychic shield. Even though TK could have told her what she wanted to know using less energy, she hardly ever trusted anyone's powers but her own.

Satisfied that there was no one in the corridor, she slowly cracked open the door and motioned for him to follow.

They crept out into the hallway, making sure to tread softly. They knew that they were in Isan's territory, and he made the rules. There was always the chance that he was just evading their senses.

Luckily, they were able to get back to the first dungeon full of cages with no problem. However, the two Garians were inside, standing guard. Meersa frowned, she only knew some witchcraft and healing. Nothing destructive enough to kill two Garians swiftly and silently. But, the boy…

She turned around and yanked him close so that she could whisper in his ear.

"Kill them. _Now_," she added when he hesitated.

Sighing softly, he nodded and focused his mind so that he could find their exact position. When he had locked onto them, he cautiously delved into his inner power, not willing to have his mind 'spiral' again. Satisfied that he had pulled enough power up, he formed two Shadow Energy balls. Keeping a mental hold on them, he released them into the room and towards the two Garians.

He made sure that they were undetected in the room until they were right behind the necks of the two Garians. Then, with a slightly heavy heart, he released the Shadow Energy within them, causing a small explosion that immediately killed the two.

Flashing TK an approving look, Meersa entered the room and headed for one of the cells. TK followed. When they were close enough, TK saw that it was the cell Katya had been put in. He was about to yell out her name, but then remembered Meersa's warning to be quiet. He knelt by the bars, looking in. He was relieved to see that she was breathing again, even if it was shallowly.

He looked up as he heard the rattle of keys and saw Meersa unlocking the door. Once she had it open, he darted inside and dropped down by Katya, supporting her head.

"Katya? Can you hear me Katya?" he asked so quietly that only she would be able to hear.

As he watched, her eyes flickered and cracked open. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was so dry that she couldn't form words.

"Shhh," TK crooned, "We're going to get out of here, don't worry. This is Meersa, she's helping us."

Katya's vision shifted over to the girl standing by the doorway.

"Come on you two, hurry up," she hissed.

Katya's eyes widened slightly in recognition. She had heard that voice before, in her dream last night. There had been a woman helping her, speaking a strange language that Katya could actually understand. Then, this Meersa's voice came, telling the woman to leave. That was all she remembered.

She looked up, startled, as she was gently picked up by Takeru and adjusted so that she was on his back. She tried to hang on around his neck to help him keep her balanced, but her weak body wouldn't listen. As her head rested on Takeru's shoulder, she gave into exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.

TK stood up slowly, not wanting to jolt Katya or the wounds on his back. He walked over to Meersa as quickly as he could. He looked around outside of the cell.

"Where to now?" he asked wearily.

Meersa bit the inside of her cheek. Oh, she knew exactly how to get out of here, even without opening a rift in the air, but her job was to _assist _them in escaping, not to do it for them. They needed to learn to fend for themselves in harsh situations. Realizing that TK was looking at her, still waiting for an answer, she replied simply yet carefully, revealing nothing with her tone.

"I'm not sure. You'll have to find the way." There, she had told him what to do without actually _telling _him what to do. If her plan continued to work, he should be able to discover a new power that he could share with his fellow Guardians if they couldn't figure it out on their own.

TK frowned. _'Okay, how do I do that?' _Sighing, he concentrated. How could he get them out of this? His Shadow Power and ability to sense evil wouldn't be much help in finding the exit. Unless…maybe his wolves were outside already, and they could guide him to the way out. Isan hadn't mentioned having them here, and that was something he normally would have used to his advantage.

/Rage? Can you hear me/

A flicker of reply, very weak.

/Rage/

/Tak..eru? Is it really you/ relief and hope were evident in the wolf's voice.

TK smiled slightly. /Yes, it's me. I need your help, where are you/

/In a field, I'm not sure where, but we can't leave it, neither can the lionesses./

/What do you mean/

/There are guards here, a lot of them. They are feeding some kind of magical barrier that won't allow us to pass./

TK's frown deepened. /What kind of guards? Can you describe them/

/There are many kinds, of all different power levels./

TK inwardly cursed. While he understood why Rage couldn't explain about _all _of the guards, that description hadn't really helped him develop a way for the Shadow Beasts to escape. He knew it was impossible, but it would be so much easier if he could see it for himself. If only, if only.

Suddenly, he felt a small jolt from the Life Force Stone in his heart. Nothing painful, but enough to get his attention. He tried to brush it off and concentrate on coming up with a plan, but it happened again. It was like it wanted his full attention, like it was beckoning him. He decided that he should probably see what it wanted, Meersa could hold off any hostile beings that came…hopefully.

Shifting Katya's weight, he closed his eyes and began the inward descent. It didn't take him long to get past his readily available power and reach the power of the Life Force Stone. He hesitated when he reached it, recalling the terrible 'spiralling' moments. He decided to just take it slow, and hope that things would work out.

He carefully descended within the power, going extra slowly. He got past the first bit easily enough, but started to get nervous when the level of the energy was boosted again. This was where he had begun spiralling before. However, it was different this time. The power didn't feel _so _overwhelming yet. Perhaps…perhaps he could go down just a little bit farther.

Taking it one inch at a time, he continued down the twisted pathways of his inner power. Then, out of nowhere, a bright flashing ball of light appeared, sort of like what might appear at the end of a video game level indicating that the level had been cleared. Swallowing loudly, he approached the flashing light. He sensed the power begin to invade his mind again, and knew that he would be caught within it soon.

But, the ball of light was so close…it was calling him…it would be a waste to leave it here unexplored. Besides, he reasoned, if it got too dangerous, he could do what he had done before and just pull himself out quickly. Mind made up, he took another step towards the light…then another, and another. Soon, it was within reaching distance.

He stopped and lifted a hand slowly. He reached for the light, surprised by the immense power radiating from it. He gasped as he received a shock when his fingers brushed the light. The light was then absorbed into him, running through his body until it reached his eyes, where it settled.

As soon as this exchange of energy was complete, TK became all too aware of the power trying to overwhelm his mind. Deciding to figure out what had just happened after he was safe from himself, he began a rapid ascent.

Meersa watched with disguised interest as TK's eyes reopened. She smiled inwardly, the boy had done it. He had found another power to use. He looked very confused though, as his blended eyes looked around.

As soon as TK opened his eyes, he became _very_ confused and shocked. While he could see the dungeon well enough, he could also see a place _beyond _it clearly. It was a field, a grassy field. Physically shifting his vision by moving his head, he saw Poison and Revenge lying on the ground. They didn't look too well. Swinging his vision around more, he saw seven more of his wolves as well as the ten lionesses. And then there were the guards.

They came from many races, TK didn't know most of them. Of course there were the Garians and Pixies, but there were also troll-like creatures, evil-looking Nymphs, and several other demonic beings. He also saw a faint glimmer in the air, revealing the shield that Rage had mentioned.

But…how was it possible that he could see all of this? It made no sense, even for Hiata.

"Of course it doesn't make sense you stupid boy," Meersa said quietly with underlying amusement in her voice. "New powers never do. And stop moving your head, you can look around your second sight by _mentally_ moving."

TK's head whipped up. "New powers?" he asked, ignoring the last part for now.

"What did you think that bright light was in your Life Force Crystal?"

"How do you know about my Life Force Crystal?" he asked suspiciously.

Meersa waved her hand dismissingly. "I know all about you. And this new 'vision' of yours. "

"Tell me what you know," TK demanded.

Meersa pursed her lips. "Well, aren't we grumpy?" she sighed at his glare. He was in no mood for games. "Fine, I'll tell you. What you are experiencing is a version of Sacred Sight."

"Sacred Sight?"

Meersa nodded. "It's a trait of some people who control Shadow Beasts or Animal Spirits. By focusing on a specific creature, you can see what they see, or have seen. You happened to want to know what Rage was seeing. Your Life Force Stone heard this wish and decided that you had enough experience to handle this new power. It'll do that from time to time."

"You're kidding me, right?" TK asked, very surprised.

"No. And it also causes the most dramatic physical change. Look," she said, using craft to summon a mirror.

She held it up in front of him. He peered in it curiously, and gasped.

"Woah," he breathed. She wasn't kidding when she said it was a dramatic change. It would be clear to anyone looking at his eyes. The pupils had enlongated themselves a bit to become a cross between human and canine pupils. The edges of his eyes were still their natural blue, but starting around the pupil and fanning out in a star-burst fashion, his eyes were blood red, like Rage's.

Meersa vanished the mirror. "Which animal's eyes you look through will determine the color of your own," she remarked offhandly. "Now, why don't you put that power to good use and help your wolves get us out of here, yes? It's only a matter of time before Isan shows."

TK nodded and concentrated on his Sacred Sight through Rage. Taking Meersa's advice and just mentally shifting his vision, he took in the field. He noticed right away that the guards had been placed sporadically, and were not in equal groups of power and number. Using his evil sense, he quickly located the weakest group. It was comprised of a few Pixies and a single Garian. They would get out by going through that group.

/Rage/

/Yes/

/Do you see that group of three Pixies and a Garian to your left/

/…Yes. But…how did you know/

/Later. Now listen, that is the weakest guard group. If you can take them down before the others can help them, you should be able to create a breach in the portal big enough for all of you to slip out quickly./

TK felt Rage nod. /We'll try Takeru./

With that, Rage rose casually, so as not to draw attention to himself. He mentally relayed the plan to his wolves, and Tempest quietly spoke verbally to tell Star, who, in turn, told the other lionesses.

In order to seem less conspicuous, only Rage and Star moved around. The others still laid, appearing casual, but ready to leap up and fight. Rage and Star took their time in sizing up the enemy. Then, with a glance and a mutual agreement, they launched themselves; Star taking down two pixies first and Rage going for the Garian.

As soon as the other guards started to head over, the 18 Shadow Beasts who had been lying down jumped up to fight them off and give Rage and Star time to breach the barrier.

It didn't take the two long to finish off the group of the four weaker guards, and now they watched the shield anxiously to see if Takeru's theory was correct. It didn't seem to be working, but then, a flicker…and another. Soon a whole large portion of the shield was flickering…off and on…off and on…off.

/Come on/ ((Come on!)) Rage and Star called as they darted through the opening.

After taking one last snap at the approaching guards, the others followed suit, not giving their oppressors enough time to fix the shield before they were all gone. Surprisingly, the guards didn't follow, they were too busy trying to decide who would tell Isan of this failure.

Back in the dungeon, TK could practically feel the wind on his face as Rage ran flat out across the plain. Following instinct and a gut feeling, the wolf was drawing near Isan's rocky keep.

Suddenly, TK's Second Sight was abruptly ended as he was jerked back to reality by Isan's angry voice.

"How dare you try to escape!" the Shadowlore yelled. "Haven't you learned that you can never escape me, pet!"

"I'm _not _your pet!" TK yelled back. He vaguely noticed that Meersa had disappeared. Part of him hoped she was safe, but another part resented her for abandoning them.

"Mind your tongue!" Isan roared, backhanding him and sending him sprawling, Katya landing with a thud and a moan a few feet away.

TK's blood boiled at Katya's moan and he quickly fired at Isan, not caring about how low his energy was or about the throbbing pain in his back. However, his attacks had little effect on the large Shadowlore; they merely caused minor scrapes and bruises.

"You dare to attack me! You will pay you little bastard!" Isan slithered towards him menacingly.

TK scrambled back looking down quickly as he bumped into Katya. Gulping, he tried to tap into some power, but his reserves were dry, as well as what little of the Life Force Crystal he could use.

Out of options, he turned around a half-picked up Katya, trying to shield her with his body as much as possible. As Isan stopped behind them, razor sharp claws about to come down on their heads, TK sent out one last plea.

/Wolves, help us/

Meersa walked quickly down the halls of the old familiar castle, not bothering to see if the pink-haired girl was still following her. There was only one person she actually wanted to see here, and Alitea was not that person.

Sighing in slight relief when she approached the study door, she threw it open and walked in, not waiting for an invitation. She saw Reverend Kelmio sitting in a chair, watching Akio play on the floor with some wooden figurines. They both looked at her; Kelmio with slightly amused interest, Akio with curiousity.

"What are you doing here Meersa?" Kelmio asked casually. "I thought you were watching over the Guardians."

"I am," Meersa replied shortly before pointing to Akio. "I came to fetch him."

"I see," Kelmio replied as Akio became even more confused.

"Who are you, lady?" the small boy asked.

"My name is not 'lady', it's Meersa. Now, will you come with me? We haven't much time."

"Come where?"

"To see the Shadow and Light Mages."

Akio's eyes brightened. "You can take me to see Papa and Mama?"

'_Papa and Mama?' _Meersa sent a curious glance towards Kelmio, who sent her a knowing look. _'Oh, right.'_

"Yeah, now come on," she said, scooping him into her arms and not giving him a chance to answer. She flicked her wrist and a rift appeared in the air. Just before she stepped through, she glanced back towards Kelmio. "I'll be back to speak with you later."

Kelmio smiled, amused at the warning in her tone. "Until then, _Lady _Meersa."

She scowled at him before stepping through the rift. It disappeared immediately, leaving no indication that either it or its creator had been there. Kelmio smiled slightly. Some people never changed.

TK tensed as he waited for Isan's killing blow. He could sense the claws coming down, getting closer and closer. Just as they were about to come into contact with his back, the doors burst open, angry, growling Shadow Beasts rushing in. They all launched themselves at Isan, stopping his attack dead in its tracks.

'_Impeccable timing, yet again,'_ TK thought, relieved. While Isan was being kept busy by the 20 growling beasts, he lifted Katya again and headed for the door.

"Rage, Star!" he called aloud.

The two Shadow Beasts detangled themsleves from the bleeding, howling Shadowlore, who was trying in vain to escape, and rushed over, leaving the other 18 beasts to deal with Isan.

When Star reached him, he placed Katya on her back, making sure that she was firmly balanced. Then he swung up on Rage.

/Let's get out of here/

Rage growled his agreement and took off through the door, Star following. They raced through the halls at top speed, going out the same way they came in. When they reached the outside door, TK sent out a call for the rest of his wolves to follow. They were running behind them in seconds. The lionesses were right behind as well.

They continued running at a top speed for several minutes, until they could no longer sense Isan. TK sighed and sent an order for his wolves to slow. When they reached a grove, they stopped to rest.

Sliding off Rage, TK went straight over to Star and Katya. He gently lifted Katya down and laid her on the ground. She shifted and winced a little, but seemed to be doing better. He hoped she would wake up again soon so that he would know exactly what was wrong and where it hurt.

"Star, keep an eye on her, okay?" he asked quietly, standing up.

Star nodded and laid down next to the girl. TK started to walk out of the grove, deep in thought. He sensed Rage following behind him. He stopped when he reached the outer grove and leaned against a tree, arms folded, and thought about Katya. She had gone through so much in the last couple weeks. First she lost Aleja to the Gryphons, then Isan had killed Kosjo and all of the other Kols. She had lost her entire family, her entire home, in just a few days. Then she had been beaten to death before coming back to a very painful existence. He wondered if she was going to be okay.

"Of course she'll be okay, stupid boy. She's a Guardian, you lot are tougher than that."

TK's head shot up at Meersa's voice. He was ready to yell at her for abandoning them, but stopped short when he saw what she was carrying.

"Akio?" he asked, shocked.

Akio smiled and held out his arms towards the older boy. "Papa."

TK walked the few feet quickly and pulled the boy into his own arms, holding him tightly. During the little reunion, Meersa had slipped into the grove, but TK didn't notice she was gone until a minute or two later. He walked back into the grove, silently, trying to find her. He found her kneeling by Katya, eyes closed, hands glowing. As he watched, she touched her fingertips to Katya's temples, causing the younger girl to tense a bit. Then she simply released her and stepped back.

She turned to TK. "She is healed now. See, she is waking up."

TK did indeed see. Katya was slowly but surely opening her eyes. Akio struggled out of TK's arms and ran over to her, giving her a big hug. She opened her eyes, looking first confused, then shocked, then ecstatic, and returned it.

While that was happening, TK walked over to Meersa, who was starting to leave. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head back towards him.

"Thank you," he said quietly, sincerely. "For everything."

Meersa shrugged. "Do not thank me, I was merely doing my duty. Now, your beasts injured Isan, but he will return. You should move on to your destination quickly."

"Vorago," TK said quietly. "Tell me, do you know where it is? How we can get there?"

Meersa, tilted her head, debating with herself. She finally settled on a suitable answer."It is much closer than you think," she said. "To get there, just try to sense it. That's all I can tell you for the time being. I should go now. Until we meet again," with that farewell, she flicked her wrist and stepped into the rift that was created. TK watched in awe as she and it disappeared.

When she was gone, TK pondered her words. What did 'sense it' mean? He didn't know what Vorago would 'feel' like, so how could he sense it?"

He turned his head as Rage nuzzled his arm. /You will know. Just use your power./

TK looked at his Shadow Beast curiously before smiling wryly. /How is it that you always seem to know more about me than I do/

/Takeru/ Rage replied dryly/_Everyone _knows more about you than you do. Haven't you noticed that/

TK chuckled. /I suppose I have. Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to at least try./

With that said, he closed his eyes and concentrated on sending a mental probe around the area. He had never tried to do one before, but he figured it wouldn't be much different than when he scanned for evil; he just needed to tune it so that it would pick up mostly anything, not _just _evil.

It took him a few tries, but he eventually got something to that effect. He sent it out over a wide area, looking for…well, he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for, but he figured he'd know it when it appeared.

He sighed, disappointed, when nothing out of the ordinary was picked up. He was about to call his probe back when…something…started to happen. It was miniscule at first, just a tiny twinge. Then it grew into a small jerk before going to a full-blown insistent tug. It was trying to get him to go to the left.

He turned around as he heard footsteps and saw Katya approach, holding Akio.

"Do you feel that?" she asked, quietly.

TK nodded. "It's coming from this way," he replied just as softly, heading up the hill on the left quickly.

Katya followed, nearly having to jog to keep up with him. The Shadow Beasts followed at a close distance as well. When they reached the top of the hill, Katya's breath seemed to disappear.

It took a few minutes before she could speak again. "Takeru…this must be…"

"The entrance to Vorago," he finished breathlessly, almost unable to believe his eyes.

After all these months, had they actually arrived? There was only one way to find out.

"Come on," he said, still quiet, before taking off down the hill.

Katya nodded and followed, carrying Akio, her excitement building. They were here. After all this time, they were really, finally here.

A/N: I hope it was to your liking, and if you want me to continue, please review! I should have the next chap. up in about a week if it's wanted. Hasta Luego.


	16. Death and rebirth of the final Guardian

Disclaimer: If only.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter, as promised. I hope it's alright, I seem to have more trouble with the Kari/Hiroki chapters than the TK/Katya ones. It usually shows in the length. Anyway, I hope this is suitable. Enjoy!

Oh, one last thing, the ?'s still won't work with either the -blah- or the /blah/ and the -'s won't appear if they're the first thing on a line, please try not to let it bug you, there's nothing I can do.

Kari and Hiroki anxiously scanned the ground below them as Whisper and Fury flew over the landscaping. They could feel that they were close to Pomarius, but they didn't know _exactly _where it was.

"Daddy, where're we going?" Miyo asked curiously.

"To a very special place," he replied, not looking up from the ground.

"Oh, okay," she replied innocently, trying to figure out what her Daddy found so interesting on the ground. Then her eyes widened and she pointed to something. "Ohhh, lookee. It's pretty."

Hiroki looked up at her and tried to see what she was pointing at. He inwardly gasped. It was a beautiful cluster of trees and flowering plants that seemed out of place among the other plants. It wasn't large, but Hiroki felt that there was more to it than there seemed. It was just a feeling he had. Like the feeling that they should check it out too.

"Hikari, look," he called, indicating the place.

Kari looked as well, and her eyes widened. "Do you think it could be…"

"One way to find out." ""Fury, take us down.""

Fury obeyed and Whisper followed. They landed about 50 yards away from the cluster in the nearest clearing. Then they began to make their way through the trees, birds having slight difficulty. Though they could see no danger, they stayed alert, knowing that anything could and, in all likelihood, _would _happen in Hiata.

They walked slowly, Miyo inbetween the two older humans, as they got closer. They couldn't keep relieved smiles off of their faces when the grove came into sight. It was still many yards away, but at least they could see their destination now.

It was so inviting that they had to fight with themselves internally to keep from being lulled into a false sense of security. After all, this was turning out to be a little _too _easy, it seemed.

Behind the three humans, Whisper and Fury had their wings folded closely to their bodies and were crouched down low in order to be able to walk through the trees. They were not very happy or comfortable, to say the least. Suddenly, Whisper thought she heard something from above. She craned her neck as best as she could, trying to get a glimpse, but she saw nothing. Nevertheless, she sounded a low, warning whistle to alert the others. Kari looked back curiously.

What is it-

I heard something…I think.-

I don't see anything.- Kari replied. –Maybe it was just your imagination.-

Maybe…- was the skeptical reply. –But we should still be watchful.-

Kari nodded. –Of course. Now, come on. We're nearly there.-

Whisper mentally returned the nod, though she still felt very wary. She sensed that Fury felt the same way. But, perhaps Hikari was right, maybe it was just her imagination. She _did _tend to get very protective and somewhat paranoid when it came to her Elemental's safety. Trying to shake off her worry, she continued ahead, keeping close to the humans.

Suddenly, she heard the sound again. Before she could turn around and look, however, something slammed into her back, sending her painfully to the ground. She let out a sharp shriek, causing the others to turn around immediately.

Fury let out his own war cry and tried to attack the thing that had hurt Whisper. It was moving so fast that he couldn't tell what it was yet, but he knew that he had to destroy it. However, the trees limited his movement and put him at a severe disadvantage. He shrieked a bit as the blur attacked him, leaving scratches as well as deep gashes.

A few feet away, both Elementals had gathered their powers, but couldn't use them for fear of hitting Whisper or Fury.

Hikari….- Whisper said quietly. –Get out of here, it's too dangerous.-

But…-

Go- Whisper insisted. –We'll be right behind you.-

Hesitantly, Kari nodded and started towards the grove again, Hiroki picking up Miyo and quickly following. They figured that if they could get to the grove, they would be safe…well, _safer _anyway.

They jogged through the trees as quickly as they could, ducking under low-hanging branches, jumping over fallen logs. Behind them, they could still hear the shrieks of their Animal Spirits, but they couldn't pause to look back and didn't want to call out to them for fear of fatally distracting them. Instead, they just kept going.

Suddenly, just as they were only a few yards away from the grove, the shrieks stopped abruptly and a rustling was heard. The three gasped in surprise and frantically tried to stop as a being blocked their way to the grove. A being known as Shaukaka.

Shaukaka smiled an evil toothy grin as she looked down at the three humans. This journey of revenge was beginning to become deliciously fun. Now that she had put the Animal Spirits out of the picture for a little while, she was free to do what she wanted with these pathetic life forms. And what she wanted involved much pain. For the mortals, that is.

She chuckled slightly as they backed away and readied their energy. She knew what their attacks were, and could easily defend. After all, how much stronger could they possibly have gotten after just five or six months? Certainly they weren't strong enough to pose a threat. And if she had her way, they wouldn't survive long enough to reach that point.

As she watched them, she idly noticed their reluctance to fight; they were waiting for _her _to make the first move. Oh well, if that's what they wanted…

Baring her sharp fang-like teeth, she dove down towards them quickly, dodging some of the attacks, and putting up a shield to block the others. She filled with maniacle glee as she saw them become panicked. They didn't know what to do. She could just capture them now, but then she'd have no fun. No, she'd play with them here a bit.

Pulling up and flying just over their heads, she reached her claws down and raked them across the boy's arm, tearing deep. Then she went back to hovering a few yards away, watching as he gritted his teeth and tried not to cry out. Next to him, the girl looked angry.

Kari was seething as she watched Shaukaka hover there nonchalantly. That beast had hurt her friend, and she was going to pay! She called upon her wind energy, as much as she could, and hurled all of it at the Shadowlore.

Shaukaka's eyes widened slightly in surprise. The last time she had seen the girl, the young one had barely been able to make small gusts do her bidding. Now she was controlling gale-force winds.

Using witchcraft, Shaukaka put up a shield to block the attack. Her eyes widened more as the shield began to crack. Flapping her wings sharply, she was able to fly above the brunt of the attack just before the shield crumbled completely. She inwardly cursed as part of her was still hit and slightly injured. It was time to stop playing games now.

Letting out a high-pitched shriek, Shaukaka dived again, this time going straight for their greatest weakness. Again dodging the now-weak attacks, she swooped by the boy, snatching the girl in his arms in the process.

She smirked as the faces of the two older children went from surprise, to panic, to rage, to fear. The girl in her arms was definitely fearful. The child was fighting, squirming, trying to get away. Heeding her love's warning about what could happen if this girl got too scared, she quickly pushed a pressure point in the girl's neck, rendering her unconscious.

"Let her go!" Kari yelled, panic evident in her voice as she saw the younger girl fall limp.

"Or what?" Shaukaka asked with sweet venom. "You can't attack me because you might hurt her, so what are you going to do if I don't let her go, hmm?"

Kari and Hiroki scowled, but stayed silent. They all knew that Shaukaka was right. Unfortunately.

"I'll make you a deal," the Shadowlore continued. "Come willingly, and I won't hurt your precious darling. But, if you don't come…" she trailed off as she put a razor sharp claw against the girl's neck lightly.

Kari and Hiroki both let out low growls, but knew that they had no choice.

"Fine," Hiroki ground out. "We'll come."

Shaukaka smiled her devious smile wider. "Good, I knew you'd see it my way. All you needed was a little…motivation. Come now pets, we must be off."

Muttering curses under their breaths, the two stepped towards the Shadowlore, casting a look back to where their Animal Spirits had been.

"Oh, don't worry _pets,_ they'll be fine. I didn't want to kill them off just yet, anyway. Now, come."

With this command, she waved her hand and two chains appeared, going from the collars to her hand. She turned and began to fly slowly through the forest, dragging the two children along. All the while, Hiroki and Kari kept their eyes locked on Miyo, making sure that she wasn't in any pain or serious discomfort. Shaukaka noticed their fixed looks and inwardly laughed. Their attatchment to this girl would be their downfall, their greatest weakness. However, she'd subtly encourage it, for now.

Looking back and changing her speed slightly, she dropped the girl into the open arms of Kari before speeding back up and pretending as though nothing had happened.

Behind her, both older children were confused. Why had Shaukaka given them back Miyo? Now that she had lost her advantage, the children could simply destroy the chains and run. Unless…maybe she was expecting them to run…_wanting _them to try to escape. But, why? It didn't make any sense. But, then again, this _was _Shaukaka. Deciding on caution, they continued to allow themselves to be led with little resistance.

They continued to walk for many hours, and soon it was getting very dark. They had taken turns holding the still-unconscious Miyo, but were both exhausted now. They prayed that they would get wherever they were going quickly.

Suddenly, Shaukaka stopped her flight and hovered. The two stopped as well and looked ahead. At first, thay saw nothing, but then they made out the outline of a door in a rock face. It was very closely cut, and wouldn't be noticed unless you were looking for it. The perfect hideout.

Flying up to the door at a casual pace, Shaukaka placed her hand in the middle and muttered something unintelligible. The space around her hand began to glow and the door slowly slid to the side.

"Get inside," Shaukaka ordered, tugging on the chains a little.

Hiroki and Kari glared at her, but did as they were told. They found themselves in an open stone room lit by torches. Several corridors broke off from the main room, leading into pitch blackness. They jumped a bit as the door suddenly slid shut. Shaukaka hovered over them menacingly. Hiroki pushed Kari, who was holding Miyo, behind him.

"What are you going to do with us?" he asked boldly.

Shaukaka smirked. "You'll find out soon enough. Come now," she tugged Hiroki's chain after securing Kari's to a hook in the wall. "I'll deal with your lover and child next."

"You leave them be!" Hiroki yelled angrily.

Shaukaka's smirk faded as she slapped the boy, claws digging into his cheek deeply, sending him to the ground. He bit his lip so hard trying not to cry out that he drew blood.

"Hiroki!" Kari cried in alarm.

"I'm okay Hikari," he replied softly.

He winced as Shaukaka pulled on the chain attached to his neck rougly. Slowly, he got up, ignoring his bleeding cheek and still-throbbing arm. He cast a concerned glance back at the two girls before following Shaukaka into one of the dark tunnels.

Kari stared after him worriedly. Then she looked down at the girl in her arms. Sitting on her knees and placing the girl in her lap, she brushed some stray hair away and tried to rouse the younger girl.

"Miyo? Miyo, wake up kiddo. You need to wake up, okay?"

"Mommy?" Miyo mumbled, stirring and opening her eyes a little.

"Yeah, kid. It's me," she replied, hugging her closely. "Are you alright?"

Miyo nodded as she looked around slowly. Then, she noticed something. "Where's Daddy?"

Kari sighed. "I'm not sure Miyo. Shaukaka took him to another place in here."

"Shaukaka?" Miyo tried out the new name. "Is that the scary lady?"

Kari nodded.

"Well, what's gonna happen to us now Mommy?"

Kari sighed again. "I don't know. But don't you worry, I'll protect you, no matter what. You just be brave okay?"

"Okay Mommy. I know you'll protect me," Miyo replied trustingly, laying her head down on Kari's shoulder. "I'm tired Mommy," she said, yawning.

Kari smoothed Miyo's hair a bit. "Go on to sleep then," she said, surprised that Miyo could still be tired. "I'll be here."

Miyo gave a barely detectable nod, already mostly asleep. Kari shifted her hold so that they could both be fairly comfortable and kept her eyes on the passage that Shaukaka had taken Hiroki down. She prayed that they would both emerge from there soon. She couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to Hiroki. She pulled Miyo closer as horrible thoughts of torture entered her mind. For Hiroki's sake, she hoped that her intuition was wrong this time.

Hiroki looked around curiously at the room that Shaukaka had taken him to. It wasn't much different from the main room, save that there were whips and knives hanging from the walls. He shuddered as he saw them.

He was jerked out of his thoughts by Shaukaka pulling him to the middle of the room and forcing him onto his knees. She fastened his chain to a ring in the ground.

"Now, my pet, we will talk."

"Why would I want to talk to you, you old hag?" he shot back.

Shaukaka growled and grabbed one of the whips from the walls, striking his back with it. He hissed slightly as he felt a line of blood crawl down his back.

"Tell me what you know of the rebel races of Hiata," Shaukaka demanded.

"Rebel races?" Hiroki asked, geniunely confused.

"You know," Shaukaka continued unpatiently. "The Caelon, the Fairies, the Nymphs! _Those _disobedient races."

Hiroki blinked. He knew of the Caelon, but Fairies and Nymphs? He had never seen those before. But, why did Shaukaka care? The Caelon weren't strong enough to have any hope of winning a battle, and how much more powerful could these Fairies and Nymphs be?

He was pulled out of his thoughts yet again by Shaukaka sending the whip across his back.

"Well!" she demanded.

Hiroki looked up at her defiantly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me boy!" she yelled, sending the whip across his back a few more times. "I know you must know something about _one _of the races, at least!"

Hiroki spat at her. "Even if I did, there's no way in hell that I'd tell the likes of you!"

Shaukaka let out a scream of rage and let the whip fly. Over and over again she hit him, drawing more and more blood. For his credit, Hiroki never once made more than a hiss, he wouldn't give her the pleasure of hearing him cry out in pain. However, this seemed to infuriate her more as she threw the whip aside and grabbed a sharp switchblade-type knife off the wall. She crept behind him, pulled up his shirt, and carved into him deeply, adding even more gashes on his back.

"Well?" she hissed in a blood-lust. "Have you changed you mind? Do you wish to talk now, my pet?"

"Go to hell Shaukaka," he hissed back, ignoring the light-headed feeling from loss of blood.

Shaukaka pulled back, rage hidden. This boy would take longer to break than she had first anticipated. No problem. She would work on breaking the girl for now. She left Hiroki without a word, not even looking back at his wounded form.

Hiroki was glad she had left so that he could show weakness now. He hadn't dared show it when she was in there. Now, however, he slumped to the side, not bothering to fight the tears of pain that ran down his face. It just hurt so much. He wanted the pain to go away.

In his pained existence, he swore that he saw a figure or two, possibly three, above him. He debated forcing himself to look through the pain-filled haze to see who these strangers were, but decided that it wasn't worth the effort. If they were going to kill him, so be it. He only hoped that he would die quickly. He vaguely noticed one of them lean down and touch the stone on his arm. Then, a painful jolt. Then, sweet darkness.

Kari's head shot up as she heard rustling coming from the corridor that Shaukaka had gone down. She instinctively pulled Miyo closer and scowled as she saw the Shadowlore.

"Where's Hiroki?" she demanded as she saw that the boy was not there.

Shaukaka backhanded her. "Don't speak unless commanded to, you worthless human!"

Kari glowered, but said nothing. She felt Miyo squirm in her arms. The girl had woken up just in time to see Kari get hit. Kari gently stroked Miyo's hair in an attempt to calm her. She watched as Shuakaka unlocked her chain and pulled it towards another passage. Kari stumbled at first as she was forced to follow. Then she steadied her step and looked around.

They were in a simple stone hallway lit by torches that burned when they were needed and not for a second longer. After a minute or two, they emerged in a dungeon-type room with a few stone cells on either side. The chain connected to the collar around Kari's neck was removed and she was forced into one of the cells. Right before the cell door was closed, however, Shaukaka reached down and snatched Miyo away. Before Kari could move, she was locked in. She clutched the bars tightly, anxiously watching Miyo.

Across the room, Miyo was struggling in Shaukaka's grasp. She clawed at the hand holding her to no avail.

"Let her go Shaukaka," Kari pleaded. "She's done nothing to you. I'm the one you want, remember?"

Shaukaka smirked, running a claw along the younger girl's neck. "I remember perfectly well, and I plan to get my revenge using this girl. You see, it would seem that causing her pain causes you more pain than I could ever hope to inflict physically." As she finished, she cut into Miyo's neck just enough to make her cry out in surprise and pain.

Kari growled, inwardly wincing. "She's just a child," she protested.

Surprisingly, Shaukaka simply laughed. "Is that what you think? Do you really believe that she is _just _a child? Oh, my dear, she is _much_ more than that. Much more, indeed."

"What do you mean?" Kari asked, not knowing exactly what had happened at the last town. "Tell me!"

"I shall tell you what I _wish _to tell you. Nothing more. Do not forget who is Mistress here, and who is simply a pet," to emphasize her point, she made another shallow cut on Miyo's neck, eliciting a small whimper of fear and pain.

Kari's emotions were running wild. She needed to get Miyo out of Shaukaka's hands, out of harms way, but she had no energy left. She was completely drained. Wincing as she heard Miyo yelp again, she closed her eyes, desperately searching for an answer to this dilemma. She dug deep down within herself, searching for energy she could use. However, as she had known it would be, her life energy was as low as it could safely go. But, she had to find the energy _somewhere_.

Going even more deeply within herself, she suddenly hit a slight mental barrier. Nothing strong, just a barrier to warn her that she had found…something Figuring she had nothing to lose by quickly exploring further, she went through the mental shield, careful not to shatter it completely as she did so.

She inwardly, and outwardly, gasped as her mind was almost immediately engulfed in a tumult of winds. Strong gales blowing from every-which way, trying to surround her mind, destroy it, even. The gusts pounded her mind mercilessly and she found herself falling more and more into the void of winds.

Panicked, she fought against the horrible winds, struggling back towards the barrier. She mentally sighed in relief as she reached it. Going through to the other side again, she began a rapid ascent back to the present. Her eyes shot open and she found herself breathing heavily.

She noticed that both Miyo and Shaukaka were looking at her; Miyo in confusion, Shaukaka in mild interest and slight curiousity. Forcing her body and mind to calm down, she steadied her breathing and stared Shaukaka in the eyes, trying to get her to back down and go away.

Surprisingly, she did. Moving so quickly that Kari barely had time to register the movement, Shaukaka opened the cell containing Kari, tossed Miyo inside roughly, and closed it again.

Hovering just outside, she looked down at Kari, same look on her face. "I do believe you and I shall be talking again very soon, pet," was all she said before disappearing.

Brushing off that last comment, Kari rushed over to Miyo and cradled the girl, gently examining the several shallow cuts she had. Nothing too bad, thankfully.

"What happened to you Mommy?" Miyo asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"You got scared. I saw it in your eyes," Miyo replied in a voice filled with wisdom beyond her short five years.

Kari smiled slightly, showing Miyo that her assumptions had been correct. "I can't explain it," she told the younger one. "I can't even begin to understand it myself."

Miyo looked up at her silently for a few seconds before nodding, accepting the answer. "Don't worry Mommy, I bet you'll understand soon. And Daddy will too. Everybody will understand everything when the time is right."

Kari blinked in surprise at the girl's words. Miyo had seemed much older just then, though everything about her stayed the same. Before Kari could question it, the younger had fallen into a deep sleep, tired from the trauma.

Kari sighed as she moved to sit against the wall, Miyo in her lap. She looked in the direction that Shuakaka had gone. What was it that both Shuakaka and Miyo seemed to notice about her that she herself could not see? She sighed again as she thought over Miyo's words. Not only had they brought up the question of what the two others knew, they had brought up the subject of Hiroki.

Was he okay? Was he being hurt as well? Kari hoped not. She hoped that he would be alright. She hoped that he would come save them. However, selfish as it might be, she did not hope these things for Hiroki himself, she hoped them for herself, because she needed him. She realized in that single moment, just how much she really needed him.

"Hello? Hello? Come out, wherever you are? Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you!"

Hiroki sighed and stopped yelling. He had woken up in this weird place not too long ago, perfectly fit and healthy. Pushing that fact aside, he had searched for help, to find a way out. But, no one seemed to be in the brimstone land.

As he looked around, he could guess why. After all, who would want to live in what looked like the inside of a volcano? Everything was made of brimstone, and through the cracks in the stone, fire could be seen. That fire was really the only light source. Not a hospitable place at all.

But, Hiroki had still hoped that _somebody _lived here, somebody friendly, that is. So he had searched, and he had searched, and he had searched some more. Nada. These place was as barren as it first appeared.

There had to be some way out, though, he kept telling himself as he continued walking. He jumped to the side in surprise as a burst of fire erupted from one of the cracks in the brimstone. He sighed. This place was too inhospitable even for him, the Fire Elemental. He really hoped that he would find the way out soon.

As soon as he thought that, a door seemed to appear out of nowhere in front of him.

"Woah," he said softly, reaching out to touch the door lightly.

Surprisingly, it opened with just that gentle touch, though nothing could be seen beyond it. Cautiously, he stepped a bit closer, unsure whether or not to continue.

"It is alright my Lord, it is safe to come through."

Hiroki jumped back, startled. _'Okay,' _he thought, _'The door is talking to me. I've officially lost it.'_

"Please my Lord, come through. No harm will befall you here."

Shrugging, Hiroki stepped towards the door. This seemed to be the only exit, so he really had no choice. Besides, what could possibly be beyond this door in this barren land that would pose a threat? After all, when he had woken up, all of his energy had been revitalized. Reassuring himself with that thought, he stepped through.

"Let me go, Shaukaka," Kari demanded as she was led away from the dungeon. She could still hear Miyo calling out for her desperately.

"I don't think so, pet," Shaukaka replied, tugging on the chain. "I have big plans for you. Or, for your power, anyway."

"I won't let you use my power!"

Shaukaka frowned and slapped the girl, claws leaving deep scratches. "You won't have much of a choice. Now, hurry up!"

Kari grudgingly did as she was told, seeing as how she did indeed have no choice. She was dragged down many corridors with closed doors on either side. Then she noticed that one of the doors was open. Upon looking within, she felt her insides twist.

"Hiroki!" she called out, voice cracking.

The boy was lying there, curled up in a small pool of blood, not moving. He didn't appear to hear Kari's cries.

"Come on, pet!" Shaukaka snapped, pulling her away from the door.

She was led to a room not far away. The room had several long tables lining the walls, all holding many viles and bubbing potions. In the center of the room was a smooth, stone circle, slightly raised. In the center of this circle, there were four manacles spaced in order to hold a person who was lying down.

Kari was forced to lie down in this circle on her back, and her wrists and ankles were secured with the manacles. She twisted her head around as Shaukaka glided to one of the side tables. The Shadowlore picked up a vile and looked at it thoughtfully before pouring in a bit of powder and disolving it. She said a low chant and the liquid in the vile began to glow.

Smirking, the Shadowlore turned back around and headed slowly over to Kari. Kari gulped and unconsciously tried to move as far away as she could. She didn't like that look that Shaukaka had. As Shaukaka unscrewed the top of the vile and leaned down towards Kari, the girl closed her eyes and desperately wished for a way out of this.

As Shaukaka brought the vile closer to her mouth, Kari went deeper within herself, searching for an answer. Suddenly, she hit that barrier again. She shied back, remembering what had happened with the immense power last time. But...perhaps she could use that power to her advantage.

Gathering her courage, she created a small hole in the shield and let the power flow out. It took all of her strength to get some control over it, but it was a weak, loose hold at best. Her eyes shot open and her mouth opened slightly in a silent gasp as the power burst from her and rushed around the room.

"And you're absolutely sure about this?" Hiroki asked skeptically, looking at the red/orange aura surrounding the fire-red stone in his hands.

"It is just as I said," the Angel of Death assured. "It has worked for the other three, and it will work for you."

Hiroki frowned. He wasn't sure whether or not to believe this person, but it didn't seem as though he had much choice.

Placing the glowing aura above his heart, he gently pressed inward, absorbing it. At first, it seemed like no big deal, but then, when the stone reached his skin…he let out a sharp cry and fell to his knees. He felt the Angel of Death's hands gently massage his temples, trying to soothe him. However, he was in too much pain to enjoy the comfort right now.

With the Angel of Death's soothing words still flowing through his mind, he blacked out.

He started to wake up just a few minutes later with a pounding headache. As he was coming to consciousness, he heard some distinct voices above him, but he only recognized one. Meersa.

Groaning, he began to open his eyes. The voices stopped immediately, and there was a hurried rustling sound. Opening his eyes fully, he looked up, wincing at the pain any movement caused. He was surprised to see that Meersa was the only person in the room. But, he could have sworn…

"Meersa, where did the others go?" he asked quietly. "The ones that were in here with you."

If Meersa had been surprised by the question, she didn't let it show. She simply looked at him indifferently. "There wasn't anyone else, stupid boy. You're hearing things."

"But-"

"No time," she interrupted. "Hold still."

Heading the tone in her voice, he did as he was told. As he held absolutely still, she said the same chant that she had used to heal Miyo and Kari before. He felt his wounds healing, and it was the most wonderful sensation. It felt almost euphoric as the pain dissipated. He closed his eyes and reveled in how good it felt.

He opened his eyes again as Meersa pulled him up. Somehow, she had been able to disconnect the chain from the collar without him noticing.

"Come on, Miyo is this way," she said, pulling him out the door and down the hall.

Hiroki followed anxiously, wanting to see if Miyo was okay. He looked around curiously as they entered a dungeon. He sighed in relief as he saw Miyo in one of the cells, seemingly unharmed save for a few scratches.

"Miyo!" he exclaimed softly.

The girl's head shot up and she raced to the bars. "Daddy!"

"Are you alright?" Hiroki asked as he carefully began melting the lock on the cell.

Miyo nodded. "But, the big scary lady took Mommy away!" she said fearfully.

"Don't worry, she'll be alright," he promised, trying to assure himself as much as Miyo.

He finished melting the lock and pulled the door open, scooping Miyo into his arms. He turned around and saw Meersa heading for the door.

"Come on!" she urged.

Hiroki nodded and followed. Not two seconds after they had gone into the hallway, an enormous energy wave rushed through the corridor, focing them to their knees.

"What was that?" Hiroki asked Meersa in a hushed tone.

Meersa didn't answer, but she took off down the hallway towards the room that the energy had originated in. Hiroki quickly rose and followed. As they got closer, more and more waves of energy gusts rushed down the corridors. However, while they destroyed most everything else, they simply went _around _the three humans. It was all very perplexing.

After just minute or two, they reached the central room. Hiroki looked in and gasped. The energy was coming from Hikari. It was swirling around her. It reminded him of what had happened with Miyo, to a somewhat lesser extent.

Amidst the chaos of broken glass, wood, and pottery, it took him a second to realize that Shaukaka was in the room as well. She had been forced into a corner and was shielding herself with both her arms and wings.

Pushing her to the side of his mind, Hiroki focused on Hikari again. From what he could tell, Hikari was scared. It didn't seem as though she could control it. Handing Miyo to Meersa, he began to make his way over, hoping that he could help.

Though she was still chained down, Kari could tell that other people had entered the room. She heard their footsteps and thought she could hear them speaking as well. Lifting her head, she could just make out a figure coming towards her. After a second or two, she recognized it as Hiroki.

'_He's alright!' _she thought, overjoyed. _'But, he'll never be able to reach me with all of this energy forcing him back. I have to stop the flow, or he might get hurt.'_

Thinking of Hiroki being hurt gave her more than enough motivation and courage to descend within herself again. She inwardly winced as she went down. Her mind was a chaotic mess, energy gusts were flying everywhere, trying to destroy everything that they could not control, including her.

Bracing herself against the strong gusts, she forced her way down, determination fueling her. After what seemed like hours of fighting the gusts trying to engulf her mind, she was able to see the hole that she had made in the shield. A few moments later, she was close enough to touch it.

She knew she would have to work fast, though, as all of this internal fighting was draining her. Focusing completely on the task at hand, she tried to undo the damage she had let loose. Though she really had no idea what to do, it almost came naturally. With some effort, she was able to patch up the hole, trapping the energy inside.

Sighing in relief, she began her descent upwards, fainting as soon as she reached reality.

Kari groaned slightly as she woke. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with Hiroki's concerned face. Relief was visible in his features.

"Good," he said, "You're awake. I mean, Meersa said you'd be fine, but still…"

"Wh-where are we?" she asked, confused, as she sat up slowly. She looked around and saw that they were outside, by some trees.

"Your little 'energy fit' as Meersa called it, knocked out Shaukaka and pretty much all of the guards, so we were able to get away fairly easily. We found Fury and Whisper, and Meersa healed them and you. We decided to camp here until you woke up, and then we'd go into that grove together." He looked behind them as he said 'that grove.'

Kari turned around and smiled slightly as she saw the same beautiful grove that they had been trying to get to before. The grove that they thought led to Pomarius.

Standing up slowly, and using Hiroki for slight support, she looked at their three other companions. Wait…three? Where had Meersa gone?

"She left," Hiroki answered the unasked question. "Right after she healed you."

"Oh," Kari replied before turning back to the grove. She was silent for a moment before speaking again. "Well, we won't find out anything just standing here. Let's go." With that, she started towards the grove.

Those behind her nodded and followed.

As she neared the grove, Kari felt the pull within her become stronger, more insistent. She only hoped it meant what she thought it meant. When she was close enough, she reached out and touched the first tree lightly. She gasped in surprise as the small grove glowed, and the trees began to move.

A/N: I need reviews if you want me to continue. The next chap will be better...hopefully.


	17. Vorago

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

A/N: This chap has more character development than fighting action, but it is necessary for the story. I suggest you at least skim it in order to understand what's going on if you don't feel like reading all of it.

Also, instead of using >>blah>> for the'Old Tongue'Hiataian language, I'm going to use **_"blah" _**because it's easier to use with QuickEdit. I'll go back and fix it in earlier chaps sometime soon.

When they reached the bottom of the hill, the travelers began to slow. In front of them was a large mass of stone ruins, stories high. It didn't seem like much just to look at, but TK and Katya could sense that there was more to it. Much more. They suspected that the broken ruins image was just that, and image.

It would make sense to have such a mirage. How else could Vorago be protected from raiders and such? Still, if this was just an image, how would they get past it? They stepped closer apprehensively, hoping that something, _anything, _would happen to point them in the right direction. However, they definitely _weren't _expecting what happened.

As soon as they were exactly halfway across the gravelly surface that led from the hill to the entrance of the ruins, a small earthquake-type thing happened. The stones on the ground jumped and jittered, and the three humans were a little unbalanced. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. But then, something else happened.

Energy started to swirl in front of them in a tight circle, rising up from the ground. They stared in awe as a figure began to appear within the energy. They couldn't make out much detail at first, all they could see was a shadow, but then, the energy started to dissipate and they found themselves faced with a frightening woman.

No, she wasn't frightening because her physical appearance, she was frightening because of how she carried herself. There was raw determination in her eyes, and energy swirled all around her. She floated slightly above the ground, shoulders thrown back, and looked down at them, eyes narrowed.

Save for the intimidating poise, she was actually quite lovely. She had long blacker-than-black hair that flowed in several braids, and dark golden eyes. Her complexion was pale and her figure was slight, but she had well-developed curves. Black fabric hugged her skin, starting over one shoulder, going under the other, and wrapping down and around until it reached her ankles where it flowed out slightly.

"What business have you here?" she asked, somewhat suspiciously, in a voice commanding respect.

TK swallowed somewhat nervously before speaking. "I am Takeru, Shadow Mage and this is Katya, Light Mage. We have come seeking Vorago so that we might increase our power in order to fulfill our duties. Who are you?"

The woman's suspicious gaze softened slightly. "I am the Gatekeeper, protector of Vorago's sacredness. Who be those with you?" she asked, indicating Akio and the animals.

"Those are our Shadow Beasts," Katya replied, "And this is Akio. He accompanies us."

"I see," the Gatekeeper paused. "You say you wish to see Vorago, yes?"

"Yes," the two answered immediately.

"Hmm. What would you give to go to Vorago?"

"What do you mean?" Katya asked.

"Nobody in any world can gain anything without first giving something of equal value in return. 'Tis the first law of Alchemy. Vorago is the physical form of this law. In order to reach it, you must give something in return."

"What would it have us give?" TK asked quietly, after a moment of silence.

"Blood is the ultimate equalizer, child. A few drops will bring you food, water, weapons, or even something more."

"Such as Vorago?" Katya asked, somewhat warily.

The Gatekeeper let a hint of a smile flicker across her face. "Yes child. Such as Vorago."

"How do we go about making this 'offering?'" TK asked.

"Do you see those slightly raised rocks to your sides? Go to them"

TK and Katya looked. At first, they saw nothing save regular rocks. But then, they noticed that one rock on either side of the pair was raised slightly. TK walked to the one on the left while Katya walked to the one on the right, after placing Akio on the ground. Brushing off the rocks, they noticed strange markings on them. Both had a circle carved into them, and inside the circle were various lines and shapes. Sometimes, parts of these shapes left the circle boundaries, but they always ended back inside.

"Alchemist circles," the Gatekeeper clarified, seeing their confused expressions. "And the keys to opening Vorago."

"What do we do now?" Katya asked, still studying the intricate Alchemist circle on the rock she was kneeling by.

The Gatekeeper flicked her wrist and two hunting knives appeared, one by each of the Mages. "Cut across your hand and place it against the Alchemist circle while willing Vorago to open. If you are deemed worthy and true, it will be revealed to you all."

Picking up the knife and looking from the Gatekeeper to the circle on the rock, TK realized just how scared he was. What if they weren't 'deemed worthy and true?' What then? Will this all have been for nothing? Will Hiata be destroyed? Would he and Kari ever get back to Earth? Hesitantly, he poised the knife on the palm of his hand.

'_Continue to doubt yourself and you will cost not only your own life, but the lives of millions of others too…'_

TK inwardly jumped as Karina's words echoed through his mind. As much as he hated to admit it, and boy did he hate it, she was right. He couldn't allow doubt to hold him back, especially not after they had come so far. Closing his hand around the knife, he pushed it down and pulled it out of his grip, effectively slicing his palm. He opened his hand and placed his hand against the Alchemist circle on the rock while willing with all of his heart for Vorago to open. Behind him, he could sense Katya mimicking his movements.

At first, nothing happened, but then…the circles on the stones began to glow. TK gasped and almost pulled his hand back, but forced himself to keep his palm planted firmly. For some reason, he felt that he should not break contact just yet. As they watched, dark blue and red energy flowed from the circles towards the door that led into the ruins. This energy grew until it filled the entire opening, swirling around each other, colors still distinct. After a second or two, the circles stopped glowing and emitting energy. Yet, the energy in the doorway remained.

Removing their hands and looking up at the Gatekeeper, the two were surprised to see that she had a real smile on her face and in her eyes.

"You have been judged and found worthy and true. A few drops of your willingly-given blood on either stone will open the gateway to Vorago immediately any time you wish to go in. Now, proceed my Guardians. Go through the gateway and see your true home." She moved to the side, arms spread, to let them through.

"Thank you Gatekeeper," they said unanimously as they walked by, Akio and Shadow Beasts following.

They slowed their pace a bit as they neared the portal, but knew they had nothing to fear. It was simple aprehension and disbelief that they felt. Taking deep breaths, though they didn't know why, they stepped through the barrier.

What greeted them on the other side was a most magnificent sight. A castle made completely of black crystal with jagged rising towers ending in sharp peaks. The main entrance was a large, ebony door across a drawbridge going over a darkwater moat.

The two Mages spun around as the energy-door that they had stepped through disappeared. They ignored that minor fact as they felt a strong tug from within the castle. Stepping quickly, no longer apprehensive, they walked across the moat and pushed on the door. It opened easily enough.

When they were able to fit, they slid inside, taking in all that they could. The inside was just as impressive as the outside. Dark crystal made up the all the walls and floors. The halls went in either direction around a square courtyard in the center. There was a circular blackwater pond in the center of the courtyard surrounded by smooth, shiny dark pebbles.

Before he had any more time to admire, TK felt a strong, insistent tug to his right. Curious, he started to walk down the hall.

"Where are you going Takeru?" Katya asked.

"I feel something," he replied absently, continuing.

Katya frowned. That was strange. She was feeling a tug from the opposite direction. Usually, she and Takeru felt the same pulls. She tried to shrug it off.

"We will meet up later, then," she said, loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes, later," was the seemingly distant reply.

Katya inwardly shrugged again and headed to the left, carrying Akio. Her lionesses followed.

In the opposite hall, TK could feel his wolves following him. None said a word, which was good because he would probably have been too distracted to answer.

Soon, he came to a winding stairway. Placing a hand on the wall, he began to climb. He came to a second story, and debated exploring, but decided agaist it as the feeling inside urged him to continue up the stairs.

When he got to the third story, he felt himself being tugged down the hallway. He walked for a few minutes until he found himself outside another ebony door. The tug was coming from inside. He hesitated.

He turned his head slightly as Rage nudged his back, pushing him towards the door. Smiling a little, TK pushed the door open and slipped inside. The room, like the rest of the castle, was made of black crystal. There was a large open window across from the door that lit the rest of the room.TK could see a few ebony chairs and a table on one side of the room in front of a tapestry. He also noticed that there was an alcove about 7 feet tall, high in the room. Underneath this alcove, he saw a bookcase built into the wall.

Walking over curiously, he scanned the titles. They seemed to be written in a foreign Arabic-looking language, but TK found that his mind could understand the symbols. He found himself muttering the titles out loud in a very smooth sounding language. He had no idea how he knew it, he just did. He was so engrossed in looking at the books that he didn't notice a figure glide down from the alcove and land a couple yards behind him.

One title in particular captured his attention. It was titled _The Shadows of Hope_. Brows knitted slightly, he pulled the black and gold bound book off the shelf, hand dropping slightly at the unexpected weight. Opening to the first page, he quickly scanned it. It seemed to be a story of sorts.

"_**Quite a good book, that one. A favorite of mine as well."**_ came a voice from behind him.

TK jumped, dropping the book with a thud, and spun around. He found himself facing a young man of no more than 30. He had great black feathered wings, dark, dirty blonde hair, clouded blue eyes, and small, sharp fangs that were barely noticible. He was wearing a black tunic, black leggings, and black leather boots. He was looking at TK with interest.

TK stared back, confused. He felt as if he knew this man, but from where?

"_**Wh-who are you?"**_ he asked. "_**You seem familiar, but…"**_

The man smiled slightly. "_**I should hope I seem familiar. We are practically one in the same, after all."**_

TK looked at him, confused for a second. Then, the answer dawned on him. _**"B-BlackWolf?"**_ then, tenatively, he added, _**"Father?"**_

The man nodded, amused by the stunned look on the younger's face. _**"It is good to finally be able to talk to you, my son."**_

"_**B-but how? I mean, yo-you're dead! Aren't you?"**_

BlackWolf tilted his head. _**"Well, yes and no. I'm no longer among the living, but I'm not quite dead, as I still age for one thing. Call me demon-dead, if you like."**_

"_**Demon-dead?"**_ TK asked, very confused.

"_**A term that simply means that I am dead, but retain a form among the living. I can touch and be touched, so I am more than a ghost, but less than a living being. Do you understand?"**_

TK nodded, still looking at the man in front of him. Had he finally found his 'real' father? The man whose blood flowed through him?

BlackWolf chuckled slightly. _**"I imagine that this is a large shock to you."**_

TK nodded. _**"You could say that."**_

BlackWolf stepped forward and place a hand on TK's shoulder. _**"Then perhaps we should start by getting to know each other a bit better. Come sit and we'll talk."**_

TK nodded and followed his father to the chairs. Sitting in one, he watched as BlackWolf settled himself in the other. His wolves laid in various places in the room, Rage and Tempest lying on eather side of the chair he was in, Tempest resting her head on his lap. Absently, he smoothed her fur while watching BlackWolf. As the elder poured some drink for them, a thought in the back of his mind wondered how Katya and Akio were getting along.

Across the castle, in a different room, Katya stared in awe at the woman in front of her. The woman had dark hair, piercing green eyes, small fangs, and a fair complexion. Large white wings spread from her back, and she was wrapped in a loose black tunic. Black leather boots covered her feet.

Stepping forward, the woman wrapped both her arms and wings around the younger girl. Katya stayed still, unsure what to do. Akio and the lionesses watched from various parts of the room.

"_**It is good to see you well, my daughter."**_ the woman said in a strange language.

Katya's eyes widened and she replied in the same foreign language. _**"M-mother! WhiteLioness?"**_

The woman nodded, slowly releasing her hold and drawing back. _**"It is a shock for you, I imagine, since you thought I was dead."**_

Katya nodded, not being able to come up with words.

"_**Well, the simple explanation is that I still age and have a physical form, but I'm not exactly alive. The exact details are more complicated."**_

"_**It's alright, I understand…I think."**_

WhiteLioness smiled. _**"Good, now come sit with me, and bring the young one as well. I'm sure we have much to talk about."**_

Nodding, Katya picked up Akio and followed, mind racing. This was so hard to believe, she was still trying to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. But…this place seemed real enough, as did WhiteLioness. Besides, if this was a dream, she certainly didn't want to wake up anytime soon.

The two Mages spent much of the day getting to know their respective 'parents', and soon it was very late.

"_**You look tired, Takeru,"**_ BlackWolf noted as he looked across the table at his younger likeness.

TK smiled slightly and yawned. _**"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, it has been a hectic couple of weeks, what with Isan and all."**_

BlackWolf frowned slightly, remembering._** "I can imagine. Come on, we'll get you settled in another room tomorrow, but for tonight, you shall stay in here."**_

"_**Where?"**_ TK asked, seeing no beds.

Before he could register the movement, BlackWolf had risen from the chair, scooped the younger boy in his arms, and glided up towards the alcove. TK saw that there were two beds in this alcove, as well as another pair of chairs and a table. His hands tightened instinctively around BlackWolf's tunic as they landed with a small jolt.

BlackWolf smiled, glad for the easy acceptance, as he placed the boy gently on the bed to the left.

"_**Sleep well,"**_ was all he said before retiring to the other bed.

TK smiled slightly again as he laid down and curled up in the blankets. This bed was incredibly soft. He found himself drifting to sleep quickly.

He woke again hours later, as sunlight shone onto his face from the window. Looking at the sun, he guessed it was about nine in the morning. Sitting up in bed, he stretched and yawned. Looking over at the other bed, he was surprised to find it made, and BlackWolf gone. Rising from his bed, he walked to the edge of the alcove and looked down on the room. He was even more surprised to find it empty.

"_**BlackWolf?"**_ he called out. _**"Are you here? BlackWolf? Father?"**_

No answer.

Frowning, he sat back on his heels. "Great," he muttered. "Now how am I supposed to get down?" Looking around, he suddenly spotted Midnight, the only wolf still in the room.

/Midnight? Can you get me down from here/ he asked.

Midnight looked up and nodded. Crouching low, she jumped up to the alcove. She was able to fit with no problem. TK climbed on her back and she leapt back down, landing gracefully. He slid off of her and headed for the door.

/Thanks. Let's go find my father now./

Nodding her great head, Midnight followed.

Following instinct, TK walked through the third floor corridor, back down the stairs, and out to the courtyard. He spotted Katya, Akio walking into the coutyard as well; BlackWolf and another woman were already there.

"_**Were you just going to leave me up there?"**_ TK asked, somewhat irritated as he reached BlackWolf.

The older man smiled at him slightly. _**"You're a bright boy, I knew you'd find a way down sooner or later."**_

TK frowned a bit. _**"What if I hadn't?"**_

BlackWolf shrugged. _**"I would have come in eventually."**_

TK rolled his eyes in annoyance. That annoyance disappeared as soon as Katya came up behind him and leaned against his side slightly, holding Akio. The younger boy smiled at the older and reached out. Smiling back, TK took him from the girl.

"_**I don't think we've all been properly introduced."**_ the woman said. _**"I am WhiteLioness. You are Takeru, Shadow Mage, are you not?"**_

TK nodded. _**"It's nice to meet you."**_

Then BlackWolf spoke, facing Katya. _**"And I am BlackWolf. I know that you are Katya, Light Mage, and this little one is Akio, correct?"**_

Katya nodded.

"_**Well,"**_ WhiteLioness started. _**"Now that we all know each other, we wish to share with you some of the secrets of Vorago."**_

"_**What secrets?"**_ Katya asked, clearly interested.

WhiteLioness tilted her head slightly. _**"How much do you know about the creation and being of Vorago?"**_

"_**Hardly anything,"**_ Katya admitted.

"_**Well, then, I suppose we should start at the beginning. You see, Vorago was created just over two and a half thousand years ago by some very powerful Mages, working together with Alchemists. It was designed to be a safe house for all who were pure."**_

"_**Pure?"**_ Katya's brows knitted in confusion. _**"What does that mean?"**_

"_**Pure is simply a word to describe those who are true of heart, and who do what they do for the good of others, not just themselves."**_ BlackWolf answered.

"_**Oh,"**_ Katya replied in understanding. _**"And, we were found to be pure then?"**_

WhiteLioness chuckled a little. _**"You are Guardians, of course you are pure. If you weren't, your gifts would have recognized it and destroyed you in the beginning."**_

TK and Katya's eyes widened at how casually she said that.

"_**Anyway,"**_ WhiteLioness continued, _**"Vorago was…is the ultimate stronghold. However, its power is limited to how many Mages are in Hiata as it draws its power from them in its times of need."**_

"_**And, how many Mages are there?"**_ TK asked.

BlackWolf shrugged._** "Only the Watcher would know, but it is believed that there are only between 30 and 40 remaining. Many of these are weak, but some are formidible opponents."**_

"_**Like Tejuku,"**_ TK muttered.

BlackWolf frowned. _**"Yes, like Tejuku. However, I am sure you can defeat him with proper training. Speaking of training, we shall start tomorrow morning. We decided to give you a day to explore and get used to this place first."**_

"_**What kind of training?"**_ Katya asked.

"_**Well,"**_ WhiteLioness started, _**"Mostly like you have studied before. Weapons, powers, as well as physical fitness. But, I can promise you that it will be much more rigorous than you have ever had before."**_

"_**Great,"**_ Katya muttered, thinking of how hard Isan's training had been when she was first taken.

Ignoring her, BlackWolf spoke again. _**"Well now, you are free to do as you like. WhiteLioness and I have some…business to take care of, so we will not be able to escort you. However, I'm sure instinct will guide you anywhere you want to go. Feel free to explore, you may find something…worthwhile."**_ Nodding his head in farewell, both he and WhiteLioness propelled themselves into the sky and flew off to an unseen place.

"_**What now?"**_ Katya asked, turning to TK.

He thought. _**"Well, I'm not sure what you're going to do, but I saw a very interesting book in my father's room that I'd like to take a look at."**_

"_**Now that you mention it, there were some odd objects in my mother's room that I would like to investigate."**_ she paused, pursing her lips slightly. _**"What shall we do with Akio? I doubt he will find either option entertaining."**_

"_**Tempest will watch him, I'm sure. You can go ahead, I'll just drop him off with her. We can meet later tonight."**_

Katya nodded her agreement before heading off.

"Akio?" TK asked, speaking regular Japanese again. "How would you like to spend the day with Tempest and the other Shadow Beasts? Mama and I have some very boring things to do, and you probably wouldn't have any fun with either of us."

"Yeah," Akio scrunched up his nose. "I don't like books or funny looking things that much."

TK blinked in surprise. "You understood us?"

"O' course I did Papa, you were just speaking normal. Can we go now? I want to play with Tempest!" he grabbed TK's hand and started to tug at it. "Where is she?"

Still slightly surprised, TK's mind automatically found Tempest's location. She wasn't far away. Holding Akio's hand, he walked down the first floor hall a ways before going through a door that led into another courtyard. This one was more friendly looking as it had regular bright green trees and a bubbling stream. Tempest was drinking from the stream. She lifted her head as the two humans walked closer.

/Takeru? Is something wrong/ she asked.

/No, no/ TK shook his head. /I was just wondering how you'd feel about playing 'mother' to Akio for today./

/I don't mind. The pup is easy to watch, especially when I let him play with the males. They entertain each other./

TK chuckled slightly. /Thank you. You know how to find me if you need me./ Patting Tempest on the head fondly, he turned and quickly made the journey to his father's room. Pulling out _The Shadows of Hope, _he settled himself in a chair and began to read.

"_**That's it. Good! Keep working,"**_ BlackWolf urged TK on as the younger boy went through the difficult motions of one of many sword drills.

TK sighed and shook his head, trying to get his sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. WhiteLioness hadn't been kidding when she said that it would be rigorous. They worked from sunup to sundown everyday for the few weeks that they. They would start with strength and endurance training, followed by power control, and ending with weapons practice. Even though they had been doing it for weeks, it was still very brutal.

Sighing again, he finished the round of drills he was working on and placed the sword in the ground, leaning on it while breathing heavily. He nearly fell over as BlackWolf patted him on the back heartily.

"_**I think that's enough work for today. Why don't you go wash up and rest?"**_

TK nodded, that sounded like an excellent idea. Positive he had more muscle aches than muscles, he headed for the bathing room on the first level with the hotsprings right outside. On the way, he passed the area that Katya was training in. She seemed to be taking a break as well. He smiled at her warmly when she looked up and saw him. Her face seemed to flush even more as she smiled back somewhat shyly, but he figured it was probably from the workout.

Drawing the dagger that he now carried 24-7, he pricked his left palm as he walked into the hotsprings bathing room. Pressing the hand against an Alchemist circle on the wall, he watched as the circle flashed for a split second before hot water from the springs outside began flowing into one of the deep, inground stone tubs. When he pulled his hand back, the blood was gone and the small cut had healed.

Closing the door, he stripped off his clothes and climbed into the comfortably warm water. He laid his head on the side and rested his eyes, enjoying the relaxation. He decided that, when he was done with his bath, he would go to his room and finish the last few pages of _The Shadows of Hope. _It was a quite intriguing book, and he was anxious to read the end. Until then, however, he was going to sit and relax in the comforts of this steam-filled room.

In the training yard, Katya watched as Takeru walked out of view. She really hoped he hadn't noticed her blush. She seemed to be blushing a lot around him nowadays, and she wasn't quite sure why. Though, she did have a rather good idea.

"_**Crave him, do you?"**_ WhiteLioness asked, smirking knowingly.

If possible, Katya flushed even more. _**"I-I don't know what you're talking about,"**_ she stammered.

WhiteLioness chuckled. _**"You know you have fallen in love with him, denial will change nothing."**_

"_**Denial will change **_**everything****_,"_** Katya argued. _**"Reverend Kelmio said that Guardians shouldn't fall in love because it will interfere with their destinies. I won't allow my foolish interest to threaten Hiata."**_

"_**It is not foolish daughter,"**_ WhiteLioness said with uncharacteristic seriousness._** "In fact, it may help you in your quest. Though Reverend Kelmio may have seen it differently, I know that, without the support of my love, I would never have been brave enough to do what I did. Love makes you stronger, not weaker as many believe."**_

"_**But…he is from a different world,"**_ she protested weakly. _**"It would never work."**_

"_**You won't know that for certain unless you tell him. I'm willing to bet that he loves you back. If you are still afraid of loving him completely because you fear you will lose him, remember, there are many ways to love that may cause less pain in the end. Ways that can be just as satisfying."**_ she gave Katya a knowing look.

Katya shook her head._** "But what if he doesn't love me back? I don't think I could stand it."**_

"_**Will you be able to stand not knowing?"**_ WhiteLioness replied wisely.

Katya sighed, knowing her mother was right.

"_**You should tell him,"**_ WhiteLioness advised, while taking the spear from Katya. _**"Go on and clean up, you are done for the day. But I strongly advise you to make a final decision about what to do soon, you may not be able to afford to wait much longer. After all, you will leave Vorago in just a week or two and will be caught up in the conflict of your life.**_ she placed a hand on Katya's shoulder reassuringly._** "Do not think that I am telling you what to do, daughter of mine, I am merely advising you. What you do is your choice, and your choice alone. But pray, choose wisely."**_ With that, she was gone.

Katya sighed again, wishing that life wasn't so hard. Wishing that somebody would tell her _exactly _what to do, so she wouldn't have to make this difficult decision all by herself. Sighing yet again, she walked out of the arena and headed for the bathing room on the opposite side of the castle. Maybe a nice hot bath would help ease and guide her troubled mind. At the very least, it would soothe her aching muscles.

Later that night, Katya was wandering through the halls of Vorago, with no apparent destination. She had put Akio to bed just over an hour ago, and since had been trying to work up the courage to go to Takeru's room. Taking a deep breath, she started up the staircase towards the third floor. She knew that he was probably sleeping, but she also knew that if she didn't do this now, she might chicken out later.

When she reached the third floor, her bare feet padded quietly past BlackWolf's rooms and down another hallway. She stopped in front of a large door. This was where Takeru was staying. Wrapping her silken robe around her body more tightly, she cautiously opened the door and peeked in. As expected, Takeru was sleeping peacefully on the bed. As soon as she walked in, she became aware of ten pairs of eyes all staring at her. She saw the one's nearest her flash pink. Kneeling down, she scratched the wolf's neck.

"It's just me Frenzy," she said quietly. She glanced around. "Would it be alright if I was alone with Takeru?" she asked somewhat timidly.

Frenzy glanced at Rage quickly before bobbing her head and rising, other wolves following suit. They filed out of the room silently, as if they had never been there.

When they were all gone, Katya approached the bed softly. She stood at the side, listening to Takeru's rythmic breathing for a few moments before working up the courage to climb in as well. Trying not to wake him just yet, she crawled to sit next to his form on the bed. Smiling slightly, she ran nervous fingers through his hair gently. Her heart leapt into her throat as he began to stir. She didn't know if she could do this, but she really had no choice now.

"Katya?" he murmured, slightly groggy and reverting to normal tongue. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I needed to talk to you," she stuttered.

Frowning, Takeru sat up. "Why? Is someth-"

He was cut off as Katya leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. He was very surprised, and before he could respond, she had pulled away, slightly flushed. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed her fingers against his lips.

"Let me talk now, and please don't interupt or I might not be able to go on. Alright?"

Still shocked, he nodded and she withdrew her fingers. Placing them in her lap and looking down at them, she began speaking.

"Well, you see, when you were nearly killed and we were at Castle Shuuko, Reverend Kelmio told me something about my mother. He said that she was a great person who only made one mistake; falling in love. It turns out that I've made the same mistake she did."

TK's eyes widened at this implied confesion and he was about to respond when he remembered her words. Obeying her wish, he stayed silent. After a few seconds, she continued, choosing her words carefully.

"I know that we can't afford to love each other, and I'm not even sure that you feel the same way I do, but I couldn't keep this to myself any longer. However, if you do feel the same way, there are…other ways to love," as she said this, she semi-consciously scooted closer to him. "I understand if you don't feel the same, I just needed to te-"

This time, _she_ was cut off by a kiss. TK wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss slightly. After a minute or two, he pulled back.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to say that," he whispered before pausing. "But, I understand what you mean when you say that we can't afford to love. After all, we're from different worlds entirely, and besides, our destinies practically guarantee death."

Katya nodded slightly before lightly kissing him again. "But, we can still love in another way." To make sure her point got across, she pressed herself against him more firmly and gently kissed his neck.

He felt his cheeks grow warm, but he doubted that she could tell in the dark room. "Are you-are you sure you want to?" he asked, a voice in the back of his mind screaming that they were too young, but his body screaming that the time was just right.

Katya nodded lifting her head. The rational part of TK was still saying that they were too young, not even thirteen yet, but he couldn't find it in himself to tell Katya this. He simply let his irrational side take over. Leaning forward, he captured her lips in another kiss, hands slowly sliding her robe over her shoulders and down her back. As Katya returned the kiss, deepening it even more, she felt herself shudder at his touch, but in a good way.

As she ran her hands through his hair, softly caressing, all doubts about this left both of them and they simply let instinct guide them for the remainder of a very pleasurable night.

When Katya first awoke, she was surprised to find that she was in the embrace of somebody. Pulling back a little, she smiled fondly as she saw Takeru's face. He was sleeping peacefully, just like a baby.

She felt her cheeks grow slightly warm as remembered what had happened last night. Though painful at first, it was the best time of her life. It actually helped her forget her troubles; forget about training, Isan, and what happened to the Kols; forget about their destiny, even if just for a few moments.

Closing her eyes again, she snuggled back into his arms, resting her head on his chest. She was just about to fall asleep when a voice filled the room.

"_**Wake up, lovebirds. It's time to start your training."**_

Katya's eyes flew open and she shot up in bed, hands clutching the blanket against her bare chest. Her face colored immensly when she located the speaker.

"_**BlackWolf!"**_ she screeched, pulling the blanket more tightly around her. _**"Get out! Get out, get out, get out!"**_

Next to her, TK was jolted out of sleep as well. He sat up in bed quickly, trying to see what all the commotion was about. He saw Katya sitting up in bed, naked except for a blanket around her top, screeching at BlackWolf to get out. Wait…BlackWolf was here… _now!_

"_**Father!"**_ he cried, pulling Katya against his chest in order to help save her modesty and pride. _**"Get out!"**_

By the door, BlackWolf was watching the two with amusement. Kids these days were so picky. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it before, why were they so uptight? Shrugging and turning to leave, he glanced back at them.

"_**Training starts in 15 minutes, make sure you two are down there and ready to start."**_

"_**Alright, alright. We'll be there. Just…get out!"**_ Katya snapped, still blushing.

Chuckling slightly, BlackWolf did as Katya demanded.

"Um…sorry 'bout that," TK said quietly, feeling the need to apologize for his biological father's behavior.

"It's okay," Katya sighed, brushing some hair out of her face. She looked to the floor and saw her robe from the previous night. Stepping out of the bed gracefully, she pulled it on. Turning around, she gave Takeru yet another kiss. "I should go clean up and dress. I'll see you later."

Nodding, TK watched her leave before heading to the showering room attached to his bedroom. As he walked across the room, he noticed the book on the table. He hadn't had time to finish it, he'd have to do that later. But first, he definitely needed to get cleaned up.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, he started down towards the training arena, prepared to begin another long and strenous day. However, something stopped him when he reached the first floor. The training grounds were to the right, but he felt a distinct pull to the left. Figuring he had 10 minutes or so before he was due for training, he decided to check it out.

Not quite sure how he got there, he found himself in a hidden hallway just a minute or so later. Curiousity getting the better of him, he continued down the hall. Suddenly, he heard rustling behind him. Spinning around, he saw that it was only Katya. However, she seemed to have somewhat of a dazed look on her face.

"Do you feel it too?" she asked quietly, staring down the hall.

TK nodded, assuming that she was referring to the strong tugging sensation.

"Come on," he said, taking her hand and starting down the hall again.

After a few minutes of winding passages, they found themselves looking at a wooden door in a stone archway. The tugging feeling was even more powerful, and seemed to be coming from the very depths of their Life Force Crystals. TK recognized that it was similar to the feeling he felt right before he discovered his Sacred Sight; he wondered if they were here to obtain another new power.

Stepping forward, he pushed the door open. They went inside cautiously, yet eargerly at the same time. They couldn't believe their eyes.

The chamber was not very large, only about 5 or so yards on each side, but it had a gigantic well in the middle. This well was filled with pitch-black water, and a dark gray mist rose from the water, creating a perfect translucent column. Inside this column, several ebony spheres floated. They seemed to have no pattern, but they moved as one within the column though, so there had to be some order.

As they walked closer to the well in a trance-like state, TK's 'evil sense' went off. He could feel something powerful, perhaps several somethings, but he could not bring his main thoughts to leave the well. It seemed to have cast a spell on him, and Katya as well.

When they reached the slightly raised mouth of the well, they stepped onto it, not thinking about what could happen if they fell in.

As they watched the ebony spheres float gracefully, TK felt his gaze being drawn to one sphere in particular. No matter how much he tried, he could not tear his gaze from it. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached into the dark gray mist and touched it. As soon as he did, both his Shadow Stone and Life Force Crystal flashed and sent a jolt of pain through his body. His vision dimmed, but he was still very conscious.

He felt himself being lifted up by a strange energy that wrapped all around him.Suddenly, in the hazy landscape of his mind, a figure appeared. At first, all he could tell was that it was a boy. He noted that this boy looked somewhat familiar. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. That boy was himself…but, he looked so…so _different._

This TK had feathered ebony wings protruding from his back, very pale skin, and small, sharp fangs. His hair was still blonde, but had several ebony highlights. His blue eyes were sharp and filled with power. He was wearing tight cloth black pants with a black leather tunic over them, and had black leather boots. A dark belt was around his waist, and held a dagger and a few pouches. Two straps criss-crossed his front, supossedly for holding something on his back.

With his dark and powerful appearance, this TK was certainly intimidating. As the regular TK stood, frozen with awe, this new TK approached him. The winged-TK walked behind his human twin, and wrapped his wings and arms around his counterpart. The human TK was still too surprised to move. He gasped as the winged-TK began to glow darkly and pressed against him.

He cried out in pain as he was pulled more tightly against the other TK. He could feel that he was absorbing a large amount of energy, but he didn't know why or how. When he fell to his knees, the other TK did too, still holding him. The regular TK clutched his head in agony as the pain increased.

Suddenly, he saw the other TK begin to disappear _into _him. The winged-TK's wings and arms were being absorbed into TK. He couldn't see, but he assumed the rest of the strange boy's body was being absorbed too.

He gritted his teeth as a fresh wave of pain engulfed him. This didn't make any sense! What was this? He groaned slightly as he found that thinking only made his head hurt worse. He decided to wait to rationalize this until after it was over. Maybe BlackWolf knew.

His thoughts of BlackWolf were cut short as the pain peaked, nearly sending him over the edge of consciousness. He cried out hoarsly as more peaks of pain came. When another very strong one came, he found that his body had had enough. He fell limp as the form of the winged-TK disappeared completely, leaving him alone in the desolate landscape.

He didn't stir until much later. When he did finally awaken, he found himself in BlackWolf's arms, flying above a landscape. He didn't recognize it.

"_**Where are we father?"**_ he croaked out, surprised at how feeble he sounded.

BlackWolf looked down, surprised. He had been so intent on flying that he hadn't noticed the boy wake.

"_**Vorago was attacked, and we had to flee back north."**_

"_**Attacked?"**_ he rasped, now somewhat more awake. _**"Where are the others? Are they alright?"**_

"_**Relax."**_ BlackWolf ordered in a parently fashion. _**"WhiteLioness and Katya are flying beside us, and Tempest has Akio. All the wolves and lionesses are following below."**_

"_**Oh, okay,"**_ TK replied sighing. He laid his head on BlackWolf's shoulder again. _**"What happened to me?"**_

"_**I'll explain everything shortly. How do you feel?"**_

"_**Weak,"**_ he answered honestly. _**"Very weak."**_

BlackWolf frowned slightly, and glanced over to WhiteLioness before descending to the ground. When they landed, he placed the boy on the ground gently and pulled a canteen from a pouch at his side.

"_**Drink."**_ he ordered, lifting TK's head slightly and holding the canteen to his lips.

TK obeyed trustingly. He found that the liquid in the canteen wasn't water, as he had originally thought, nor was it the special juice of Hiata. No, this had a different taste. Thick, but not too much so, and sweet yet tart at the same time. It was very delicious. Not only that, but it seemed to make his strength return almost immediately. He drank some more, and was disappointed when BlackWolf put the canteen away.

"_**That is enough for now,"**_ the elder said as TK sat up all the way on his own.

"_**What was that?"**_

"_**A special blood tonic to help Mages recover their strength. I'm glad you could handle it, some Mages cannot."**_

"_**What happened to make me so weak?"**_ he asked, looking up into BlackWolf's face.

"_**You discovered a new power. This particular power saps the energy of its wielder the first time they merge. Don't worry though, it won't do it again."**_

"_**New power? What new power?"**_

"_**The power to transform into your true form, of course. Don't you remember?"**_

'_True form?' _TK wondered, very confused._** "Well, I remember this odd looking being that sort of looked like me, only he had wings and fangs, like you. As soon as he touched me, my body started feeling like it was on fire. Now, what do you mean by 'true form?'"**_

"_**That being you saw was your true form. A true form is the form that allows you to use your power to the fullest. It requires a little more energy to upkeep, but is well worth it. However, if you wish, you can go between it and your human form."**_

TK's jaw was hanging open. _**"You're kidding, right?"**_

"_**No, son, I am not. If you don't belive me, simply look over your shoulder."**_

Not sure what it would prove, TK did. He jumped nearly a foot in the air when he found himself looking at an ebony-black wing. _'This can't be happening,' _he thought. _'It's just way too…_weird_.'_ He sighed, remembering how many times he had said that to himself while he had been on Hiata. It appeared now that _nothing _was too weird.

"_**So…um…how do I, y'know…change back?"**_ he asked, still reeling with shock.

"_**The same way you use any of your powers now, go to your Life Force Crystal and will it to change you back."**_

Nodding to show that he understood, TK closed his eyes and descended quickly to his Life Force Cystal. Along the way, he passed through the energy that the blood tonic had given him, and briefly wondered what could be in such a tonic to have this great an effect. He'd have to ask BlackWolf later.

He allowed himself to smile slightly as he reached the comforting power of his Life Force Crystal. It was really quite reassuring, as long as he wasn't spiralling down. He went past the glowing orb marking his Sacred Sight, and saw another orb not more than a foot or two away. This must be what he was looking for.

Not sure what to do, exactly, he simply willed his body to change back. He didn't know if the Crystal would respond to such a method, but he figured it was worth a shot. He smiled again as the Crystal did, in fact, react. He felt a tingling all over his body, and could sense that he was changing.

Rising out of his inner depths, he found that his sense had been right. He no longer had wings or fangs, though he was still dressed in the clothes that his other form wore. Then, he remembered that he was going to ask BlackWolf about the blood tonic. Before he could, however, a sharp shriek filled the air.

Whirling around, TK saw that Katya had discovered her true form as well. It was similar to his, except that she had white wings, and a single white strip in her dark hair. She had on black cloth pants as well, and a grayish tunic over it. She too had a belt holding a dagger and pouches, and a single strap crossed her chest diagonally He could see her fangs as she spoke to WhiteLioness softly.

He watched as she closed her eyes, and figured that she was going to her Life Force Crystal as well. Suddenly, a spiral of white light appeared, circling first her feet, and then the rest of her. At one point, it concealed her completely. When the light died down, she was in her human form again. She stood up, somewhat shakily, and walked over to TK.

"Are you alright?" he asked her in normal tongue.

She nodded. "A little freaked out, but alright." She looked around. "Where are Akio and the Shadow Beasts?"

"They're coming," he replied, trying to soothe her before she became panicked.

As if on cue, the pack of 20 Shadow Beasts appeared over the hill, and raced down to meet them. TK found himself in the middle of all of his wolves. All 10 were nuzzling him and making sure that he was truly unharmed. He then noticed Akio on Tempest's back.

"Papa!" Akio cried, trying to get to him.

TK reached over and picked him up. Akio hugged him around his neck before pulling back, confused. "Where'd your wings go Papa?"

TK smiled at him. "I put them away for a bit."

"Oh, okay," he replied. "Where's Mama?"

"Over there," TK indicated. "Why don't you go see her?"

Akio nodded as he was set down, and he scrambled over into the pack of lionesses. TK turned back to his wolves.

/Are all of you alright/ he asked, mentally checking each one.

Rage nodded. /It was you we were worried about. We felt such pain from you right before the attack./ Worry was evident in his tone.

/I'm alright./ TK told them calmingly. He was about to ask more about the attack when BlackWolf came and put a hand on his shoulder.

"_**The attack has ended. WhiteLioness and I shall return to Vorago and restore the damage. You shall need to reunite with the other Guardians and fulfill your destiny."**_

TK looked up at him, wide-eyed. He knew he would have to leave Vorago sooner or later, but it hadn't crossed his mind that he'd be leaving BlackWolf too. _**"Will I see you again?"**_ he asked quietly.

BlackWolf nodded. _**"We will be there for you in the final battle, and perhaps some times before. We will find you as soon as we can, but you must promise me that you'll be careful until then."**_

TK nodded sadly, before something popped into his mind. _**"What shall I call you the next time we meet? 'BlackWolf' would draw too much attention, and 'father' would too since I won't look like you most of the time."**_

BlackWolf's expression became thoughtful. _**"You make a good point. The next time you see me, you may call me Keir. It was my name before BlackWolf."**_

"_**Alright,"**_ TK replied, smiling slightly. _**"Keir it is. Well, until we meet again."**_

"_**Yes,"**_ BlackWolf replied, returning the smile. _**"Until we meet again. Good-bye now, and good luck."**_

With that, both he and WhiteLioness took off into the sky, heading back towards Vorago. Katya, TK, Akio, and all the wolves and lionesses watched them go with a bittersweet feeling. While they knew they would meet again, none of them really wanted to wait.

Suddenly, TK remembered something. "Darn! I forgot to ask about the blood tonic."

"Don't worry," Katya replied lightly. "I'm sure you'll be able to ask him real soon. Come on now, we should get moving." She turned and walked up to Star, swinging herself up onto the lioness' back.

TK nodded and, picking up Akio on the way, swung up onto Rage's back. /Let's go/ he urged his wolf.

Rage nodded and he, along with all of the other wolves and lionesses, started back north, back to Karina's house. As they rode, TK had no doubt that they were ready to face whatever trials lay ahead because, if nothing else, they had each other to give themselves courage.

A/N: sorry about the crappy ending, I didn't know how to wrap it up. The story will get more interesting and action filled after the next chap.Anyway, I let the review thing slide with the lastchapter, but if I don't get any reviews for this one, I _**will not post the next**._ Even if you only want to ask questions or submit a character you want me to use, just let me know that people are still reading this. If they're not, then there's no point in me continuing it.


	18. Pomarius

Disclaimer: See previous chap.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I feel all warm and tingly inside now. I'll trynot to let you down.I should warn younow that this particular chapter was hard to write because I was tryingnot to copy what happened in the last one, but it was kind of hard.Just so you know, this chap ain't thatgood, but the next chapters will be,I hope. Anyway, here it is:

The five travelers all watched with awe and surprise as the grove began to split, trees moving to different sides. They weren't sure what to make of it. As they looked on, fascinated, a small portal of white and light blue appeared in the center of the grove. They stepped towards it, entranced.

Before they could reach it, however, a large ball of energy emerged and floated in front of the portal, blocking their way. The energy then transformed into the figure of a woman. This woman had long, pale blonde hair that flew in the breeze, and soft green eyes. Her skin was practically white, and her long, flowing dress was green. She looked down at them warily.

"Who be you?" she demanded.

"We are the Elemental Guardians," Hiroki answered boldly.

The woman's eyes widened and she looked them over carefully. They felt as if she was looking into their very souls.

"So you are," she finally responded. "But, who be those with you?"

"Those are our Spirit Animals and this is Miyo," Kari replied, starting to feel more comfortable around this being.

The woman's eyes narrowed again. "I am Harmony, protector of Pomarius, and only Elementals may enter. Your…Miyo is not allowed."

"She'd better be allowed," Kari quipped. "Because if she isn't, then we won't go in either. And if we don't go in, we won't increase our power, and Hiata will be destroyed."

Harmony growled her annoyance. "I cannot allow it."

"We're not _asking_," Hiroki growled right back. "As Guardians, we're _telling_. Miyo _will_ be allowed into Pomarius, do you understand?."

Kari blinked, but tried not to show her surprise. She hadn't even thought about using their status as leverage. While it wasn't quite fair for Harmony, it certainly had an effect.

Harmony bristled. "I have been around for thousands of years, no child is going to tell me what to do."

"We're more than children," Kari stated, voice dangerously low. "It'd be in your best interest not to forget that. Now, let us by."

Grumbling, but realizing that resistance was futile, Harmony did indeed move aside. Stepping past her, Kari, Hiroki, and Miyo, followed by Fury and Whisper, headed for the portal. When they were close enough, they reached out. As soon as they touched it, they got the sensation of being caught in a small vortex, spinning 'round and 'round. They closed their eyes to keep from getting too dizzy.

When they reopened them, they found themselves in a lush garden-type area with all kinds of exotic plants and trees, as well as streams and rocky paths. Along the side of one of these paths was a grove of apple trees. Next to that, oranges; then bananas, cherries, and even pineapple. On the other side of that path were low lying foods like many kinds of berries, as well as several other foods that they didn't recognize.

Beyond the food plants, the garden opened into a wide open grove. It was beautiful, just as they knew Pomarius had to be. Still trying to take everything in, they started to walk down what seemed to be the main path. Suddenly, the path forked off in two directions. Kari felt drawn to the right while Hiroki felt the need to go left. With a silent mutual agreement, they went their separate ways.

"Hey, wait for me!" Miyo called out, running after Kari.

Kari smiled and took the younger girl's hand as they continued down the path. Suddenly, a very strong breeze came whistling around the curve up ahead and wound around the two. Kari instinctively tightened her grip on Miyo as the girl scooted closer. Suddenly, the wind stopped swirling around them and simply began to push them down the path.

Staggering slightly, they walked ahead. It wasn't as if it was forcing them to go somewhere that they weren't already planning on going. As they rounded the curve, they saw a quaint building that was built into a large oak tree. It appeared to be two stories tall. Before they could observe it further, the wind gave their backs a rather insistent push.

Giving the not-quite-visible wind gust a glare, Kari walked towards the large oak door, Miyo following. Right before they reached the door, the wind gust came from behind them and pushed it open, disappearing inside. Kari debated whether or not to go in the open door, but decided that it wouldn't hurt anything.

Pushing it open a little further, she peeked inside. The inside looked just as quaint as the outside. There was a table with chairs to one side, a large rug in the middle, and a hearth on the opposite side surrounded by large comfortable chairs. A wooden staircase was nearly hidden behind the table and chairs.

As the two walked in, Whisper having disappeared to go explore, they got the distinct feeling that they were being watched. But that was impossible, nobody was here. Closing the door to avoid letting in a draft, Kari started to walk towards the staircase. When she reached it, she hesitated. Miyo sprinted ahead of her and started up the stairs before Kari could stop her.

Figuring that she had no choice in whether or not she went upstairs, she started up the winding stairs. When she reached the top, she found herself in another livingroom-type place. There was a large rug in the center of the room, on top of which there were a few large, cushioned chairs and a nice table. Some books were in a bookcase to the side. However, Miyo was nowhere to be found. Kari was about to call out for her whe nshe heard a soft giggling noise. It sounded just like Miyo.

She noticed an open door leading to another room that she had overlooked before. Walking to it, she looked in. She saw Miyo sitting in the lap of a woman. This woman had light brown hair and eyes, cream-colored skin, and small clear wings that resembled a butterfly's on her back. She was wearing a white dress that was form fitting at the top, but flowed loosely at the bottom, and cloth slippers. She looked up at Kari with a slight smile.

"**_Daughter," _**she greeted.

'Daughter! What is she talking about? My mother in this world is dead, why is she calling me daughter?'

"**_I see that you are confused, daughter of my soul,"_** the woman said. **_"My name is EvenBreeze, I am your biological mother." _**

"**_T-That's not possible," _**Kari replied, automatically speaking the strange language that she didn't know she knew. **_"EvenBreeze is dead, Karina told me so."_**

EvenBreeze shrugged, uninterested. **_"That old woman knows not of what she speaks and you'd do well to watch your back around her. While it is true that I died, you did as well, so I'm sure you can relate. You see, I was given the choice of whether or not I wanted to pass through the Gate of Death. I decided to stay on Hiata, and was given a demon-dead form. In other words, I age and have a physical body, but I am not alive. Actually, this is the path that all four of us Guardians chose. Are things a little clearer now?"_**

Kari nodded. **_"So, BlackWolf and WhiteLioness will be waiting for TK and Katya at Vorago as well?"_**

"_**Yes, though they will be the only ones, I imagine."**_

"**_What do you mean?" _**Kari asked, confused.

EvenBreeze paused for a second, as if chosing which words to use. **_"Well, though you haven't seen them yet, many Nymphs and Tree Fairies live here, and some other Elementals as well. This is because Pomarius is flourishing. Vorago, however, is not. You see, both Pomarius and Vorago feed off the Elementals and Mages respectively. While the number of Elementals is high, the number of Mages has been steadily decreasing. Those that are alive are not at Vorago, rather, they are scattered about, not able to give their power to Vorago. But, I have faith that your TK and Katya will greatly help restore it."_**

"**_I see," _**Kari mumbled. Suddenly, a thought came to her. **_"Mother, why was it that Harmony was so against Miyo coming into Pomarius?"_**

EvenBreeze shifted the girl on her lap. **_"Miyo is not an Elemental. Harmony, along with many others here, still goes by the old tradition that only Elementals should be allowed, except for under extreme circumstances. You'll have to forgive Harmony, she was only doing what she thought she should have done."_**

"_**I understand, I suppose. Now, can you tell me what we were sent here to do? Karina said that it was to unlock our full power, but I'm not sure I understand."**_

EvenBreeze smiled slightly before disappearing. Miyo fell the short distance to the bed with a shriek of surprise. Kari felt a strong wind rush past her, going to the opposite side of the room. Turning, she saw EvenBreeze reappear.

"**_H-how did you…you were just…" _**she trailed off, not able to form a coherent sentence due to her shock.

EvenBreeze chuckled a bit. **_"Don't worry my daughter, you will learn that trick and several others soon. Now, however, let's start with the basics."_** As she said this, she pulled a large leather bound book from a hidden cabinet. **_"It's time for weapons training. I hope you're ready for a workout."_**

Kari groaned inwardly. _"Great, just great."_

On the other side of Pomarius, Hiroki had been pushed up to the door of a tree-house also, only it wasn't wind that urged him, it was flame. Stepping inside of the house, he found that the bottom level appeared empty. The internal appearance of the house was almost exactly the same as EvenBreeze's house.

When he closed the door and walked further inside, Hiroki found that there was a fire crackling in the hearth. Walking over, he placed his hand in the flame, soaking up its energy. It was very revitalizing.

Suddenly, he heard a creak from behind him. Spinning around, he saw no one, but noticed a small stairway. Moving cautiously, he walked up the stairs slowly, not sure what to expect when he reached the next level.

At first, he saw no one. He walked up into the cozy room with the chairs and table in it and took a better look around. There were a few books scattered about, along with some knick-knacks that meant nothing to him. He saw that there was also another fire place crackling with heat. He settled himself in front of it, sitting as close as he could without actually sitting _in _the hearth. He was soaking up its heat energy again when a voice from behind startled him.

"_**I am glad you finally found your way home, my son."**_

Hiroki spun around and found himself looking up at a very tall man. This man had fire red hair and matching eyes. He was wearing cream-colored pants and a bright red tunic. He had a brown belt on with a dagger and places for holding other weapons and pouches. He was looking down at the boy fondly.

Hiroki scooted back slightly, flinching a bit when he touched the flame without meaning to.

"**_Wh-who are you?" _**he asked, not sure how he knew this language.

The man smiled and offered Hiroki a hand. **_"I am ScorchingFlame, your biological father."_**

Hiroki's eyes widened. This just wasn't possible, was it? Karina had said that his biological father was dead. ScorchingFlame frowned slightly, still offering his hand.

"_**I suppose you are shocked?"**_

Hiroki nodded, swallowing dryly. **_"You could say that." _**He slowly took the man's hand.

ScorchingFlame's smile returned and he pulled his genetic double upright out of the fireplace.

"**_To make a long story short, I _am _dead as you were told, but I remain among the living. I age, and am capable of touch, but I do not live. I do not need to eat, sleep, or even breathe. Understand?"_**

Hiroki shrugged. **_"Not really, but I'll go with it. So tell me, if you've been 'alive' this whole time, why didn't you come help us?"_**

"_**I did. Once. I helped you die, don't you remember? Without my help, you would have suffered for hours."**_

"**_Why did you let me suffer at all? Why let me die?" _**he asked with some underlying anger in his voice.

"_**Because you needed to die in order to retrieve your Life Force Crystal. Without it, you wouldn't stand a chance against Isan and Shaukaka. As for letting you suffer, you needed to. All four of you needed to suffer."**_

"**_Nobody _needs _to suffer like we did!" _**Hiroki snapped.

ScorchingFlame held up his hand in a gesture of peace. **_"Let me finish. We did not like to let you suffer, but if you hadn't, you wouldn't be as strong as you are now. You wouldn't be able to handle pain as well, and you wouldn't have the ability to block out your emotions during battle. You see, while suffering may have been horrible at the time, it has helped you more than you know." _**He paused, waiting for Hiroki's reaction.

Hiroki sighed. While he hated it, he understood the logic. He just couldn't believe that being put through torture and death was another part of his destiny.

Seeing that Hiroki had calmed down somewhat, ScorchingFlame decided to make his move quickly. Standing, he placed a hand on Hiroki's shoulder.

"_**Come, let's talk and get to know each other a bit, hmm?"**_

Hiroki nodded, that sounded like a good idea. Allowing ScorchingFlame to lead, he walked back down to the first living room and made himself comfortable by the revitalizing fire. For some reason, he had a feeling that he was going to need all the energy he could handle in the days to come.

"_**Now, keep both eyes open as you picture your target. Aim carefully, pull back slightly, and release."**_

Doing as she was told, Kari let yet another arrow fly. This one only missed the mark by half an inch or so.

"**_Very good," _**EvenBreeze praised. **_"You have progressed well over the past two weeks."_**

Kari blushed slightly at the praise, but inwardly agreed. When she had arrived here, she had known scarcely anything about how to handle real weapons, Shaukaka had taught her with fake ones. Now, however, she could handle a bow and arrow very well, and could hold her own in a knife fight. Besides that, her Elemental skills were improving more and more as she gained some control over her Life Force Crystal.

She could now harness even greater amonts of energy, and could see and hear through Whisper. EvenBreeze had called it Sacred Sight, a very useful skill. She had also tuned her ability to tell a creatures weakness. All in all, it had been a very progressive two weeks.

But, it had also been exhausting. They were up doing physical training before dawn every day, and didn't finish with weapons and magic training until late at night. The routine was brutal on their bodies as well as their minds and spirits. However, on the flip side, it was strengthening them in many ways. They could withstand much more now, a fact that would obviously prove useful in the near future.

Emptying her mind of thought, Kari knocked and shot another arrow, this one landing right on target. She smiled inwardly, not wanting to show pride on the outside.

Next to her, EvenBreeze smiled as well. Her daughter was progressing much more rapidly than she had anticipated. Of course, that was by no means a bad thing. She reached out and placed a hand on Kari's shoulder as the girl prepared to shoot another arrow.

"_**That is enough for today. Why don't you clean up and meet me in the Gathering Circle? I shall have ScorchingFlame and Hiroki meet us there as well."**_

Kari nodded. **_"I will be there shortly."_**

"_**Very good. Go on now, the sooner we meet, the sooner we all can talk."**_

Kari nodded again, this time somewhat puzzled. What could EvenBreeze want to talk about? They had already talked of who EvenBreeze had been before, a simple village Elemental. So it couldn't be about their pasts. Maybe it was something equally important.

Shrugging, Kari put the bow and arrows away and headed for the woman's washing room. It was no use wondering when she could just clean up and find out.

On the other side of Poamrius in another training arena, Hiroki was panting for breath as he sparred with his father. They had been sparring for nearly an hour now, and the boy was exhausted. The weapons they were using didn't help boost his energy at all.

The weapons were twin battle axes, each weighing about 20 pounds. While it didn't seem like much at first, the weight soon became apparent as you swung them around, blocking blows and dealing some of your own. It didn't take long for your arms to feel like they were going to fall off.

However, Hiroki had been progressing rapidly and his endurance was much higher now. The present time was a great example. When he had first started training, he wasn't able to last more than five minutes in a spar. Now, he had matched ScorchingFlame blow for blow for almost an hour. A major improvement for just two weeks.

He smiled cheekily as he blocked yet another blow from his genetically equivalent elder. ScorchingFlame smirked back, an action that confused Hiroki. The next thing he knew, he was on his back, looking at the business end of one of his father's axes. Gulping, he raised his hands in surrender.

Chuckling, ScorchingFlame withdrew his weapon and offered the boy a hand.

"**_Never get cocky in battle," _**he advised. **_"It could cost you your life."_**

"**_So I see," _**he replied, actually heeding someone's advice for once. **_"What shall we do now father? Another spar?"_**

"**_No," _**ScorchingFlame replied, shaking his head. **_"We are done training for today. Get cleaned up and meet me in the Gathering Circle as soon as possible. Understand?"_**

"**_Gathering Circle, got it," _**Hiroki replied as he put his weapons away and headed for the men's washroom. He decided that there was no point in trying to figure out what was going to be discussed, it was better to just go and see with no preconceptions.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, he headed down one of the rocky paths towards the place dubbed the Gathering Circle. In reality, it was another small clearing in a grove of trees. There was a natural well in the center, and it was surrounded by flat, smooth rocks that provided perfect seats. It was lit by golden oil lamps place in the trees by the Tree Fairies.

When he arrived, he saw that the other four people were already there. He nodded in greeting before going to sit by Hikari, who was holding Miyo in her lap. They both smiled at him before turning their attention to the two adults. The adults looked at each other before speaking.

"**_Well, we've wanted to have this talk with you for a while, but we decided that we needed to wait until we felt you were ready. Now, you are," _**EvenBreeze began.

"**_Ready for what?" _**Kari asked, confused.

"**_Ready to learn the truth about Pomarius and your true forms," _**ScorchingFlame answered. **_"It will be easiest to start at the beginning, with the creation of Pomarius."_** He paused, waiting to see if the children would object.

Kari and Hiroki nodded, silently urging him to continue.

"_**Pomarius was created at the same time as Vorago, over two thousand years ago, but the two are polar opposites. While both draw on the power of the descendents of their creators, Vorago was created by the Dark Magic, while Pomarius was created by the Light."**_

"**_Wait," _**Hiroki interrupted. **_"Light is a Mage's trait. Katya's the Light Mage."_**

"_**This is a different. When I say Light Magic, I am referring to magic that is whole and good, and synchronized with the world. Dark Magic is created, not necessarily drawn from the world. Therefore, it is often uncomplete or corrupt."**_

"**_Are you saying that all Mages are corrupt while all Elementals are good and pure?" _**Kari asked, some half-hidden hostility in her voice. After all, her best friend and new friend were both Mages.

"**_No, no, of course not," _**EvenBreeze replied, trying to make peace with the girl's temper. **_"Some Mages are good, and some Elementals are evil. It just happens to be that more Mages are evil and more Elementals are good. It is the nature of their craft. However, it could also be because they let other dark magics interefere with their culture,"_** she said, slight disapproval in her voice.

Hiroki frowned. **_"Something tells me that you don't think very highly of Mages."_**

EvenBreeze sighed and glanced at ScorchingFlame before continuing.**_ "We think that they have made many mistakes," _**she said, choosing her words carefully. **_"But, we do have friends that are Mages, such as the other two Guardians. You see, just because we see things differently and don't often agree on their methods, that doesn't mean that we dislike them."_**

"**_But there is no need to talk of such things that don't concern us presently," _**ScorchingFlame added quickly, trying to divert the children's attention from a topic that they seemed to be taking offence to. **_"We have more important things to talk about."_**

"**_Like what?" _**Kari asked, hostility gone for the moment.

"_**Well, you will learn more of your destinies later, so now, we will talk of another magical gift you possess that we will bring out in you."**_

Kari and Hiroki looked at them blankly, not sure what to think. The two adults smiled slightly and raised their hands. Almost instantly, two Nymphs appeared, each bearing a sphere wrapped in a cloth. Kari frowned as the Nymphs delivered the packages and bowed their heads, retreating. She didn't like how the Nymphs and Fairies were used as servants here, but no one else, including said Fairies and Nymphs, seemed to mind.

She mentally shook her head to clear her mind of such thoughts and focused on the two spheres. EvenBreeze approached her with one while ScorchingFlame approached Hiroki with the other. Kneeling down, EvenBreeze looked into Kari's eyes. ScorchingFlame mimicked her movements with Hiroki.

"**_What we're about to give you is not a gift to be taken lightly," _**she told them seriously. **_"It can only be handled and mastered by the most skilled Elementals. We have watched your progress and we believe you are ready. Do you believe you are ready for such responsibility?"_**

Not sure what to say, the two simply nodded. After all, any gifts that would help them in their quest were most welcome.

"**_Alright," _**ScorchingFlame continued, still serious. **_"Now, we should warn you that this will be slightly painful, but you must see it through to the end if it is to work, understand?"_**

"**_We are ready," _**Hiroki assured his father in uncharacteristic somberness.

Nodding, the two elders unwrapped the spheres to reveal two gloring orbs. The one EvenBreeze was holding was light blue, while the one that ScorchingFlame was holding was red-orange. EvenBreeze handed the blue orb to Kari.

"**_Listen carefully," _**she said, **_"First, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the orb. Descend into it as you would descend into your Life Force Crystal."_**

Silently, Kari obeyed her instructions. Closing her eyes, she focused on the aura of energy that she felt coming from the small orb in her hands. She could feel the barrier around it, trying to block entrance. Taking a few seconds to carefully create a whole in the barrier, she mentally slipped through.

She found herself surrounded by the blue light in a seemingly endless plane. Suddenly, a figure came into view. This figure had light blue hair streaked with brown, pale skin, and transluscent wings that were paired up like an insect's might be, but they were much more majestic looking than any insect. The figure had a very pale, form-fitting blue top with a low neck, and a skirt that seemed to hug her body until her knees where it split in the front and billowed out slightly. She was wearing soft blue slippers and had a silver ankle bracelet on her right leg. Her eyes were closed and her head was down.

"**_What do you see?" _**EvenBreeze asked softly.

Kari could distantly feel the woman's hands on her shoulders. She quickly related the scene to her.

"**_That is your true form. Go to her," _**EvenBreeze urged.

After a second of hesitation, Kari obeyed. She walked closer cautiously, not sure what to expect from the unmoving figure. When she got within a foot or two of the girl, she stopped, pondering what she should do next. However, in the end, it wasn't she who decided.

Slowly, the girl opened her crimson colored eyes. Raising her head slightly, the girl looked into Kari's eyes. Kari shivered, it felt like the girl was looking into her soul. The girl held out her hands to Kari. Kari automatically took them.

Smiling slightly, the girl closed her eyes and tightened her hold on Kari's hand. Kari tried to figure out what she was doing. Then, she felt a small amount of energy flow from the girl to her. It began to steadily increase until it was like a small river of energy. Kari closed her eyes and absorbed the energy eagerly, it felt so good, she didn't know why EvenBreeze had said it would be painful. She soon found out.

Then energy flow she was receiving from the girl suddenly spiked, sending a dangerous amount of energy through her. She cried out a little and bit he rlip to stop herself from yelling anymore. She didn't want the girl to know that she was hurting her.

The girl didn't seem to notice her cry; if she did, she didn't show it. She simply closed her eyes a bit more and tightened her hold on Kari even more. A blue aura appeared around her and moved to surround Kari as well. As the aura around the girl grew weaker, the aura around Kari grew stronger.

Kari still had her eyes squeezed shut, trying to block out the pain, and she could only vaguely sense the aura. She bit her lip so hard that she drew blood as the energy peaked again. She waited for it to subside, as it had before, but it didn't. It continued to peak, one peak right after another. She sank to her knees as the pain became too great.

The girl still didn't relinquish her hold, though her form was fading fast. She sank to her knees too as her energy faded rapidly. She gave Kari's hands one last reassuring squeeze as she disappeared completely and the landscape faded to gray. She was about to fall unconscious when she felt hands shaking her shoulders insistently.

"**_Wake up, wake up," _**she heard EvenBreeze call.

Inwardly sighing, she did as she was bid. Forcing her eyes open, she blinked a few times before focusing on EvenBreeze's face above her. EvenBreeze helped her sit up. She hadn't even been aware that she was lying down.

"**_You were successful," _**EvenBreeze said, smiling down at her. **_"Just as I knew you would be."_**

Successful? Kari blinked, still a little out of it. The last thing she remembered was being left alone by that girl. The girl…what had happened to her?

Slowly, she staggered to her feet, using her wings to help balance herself. Wait…her wings…her _wings! _She gave a little yelp as she saw that she did, indeed, have wings. The same wings that the girl had had. As she looked down at herself, she realized that she was wearing the same clothes as the girl as well.

"**_Wh-what's going on?" _**she asked EvenBreeze shakily.

EvenBreeze cupped her cheek reassuringly.**_ "You have transformed into your true form daughter of my soul. Now you will have so much more power and control. It is probably one of the best things that could have happened to you on your journey."_**

"**_O-okay. So, is this change…permanent?" _**she asked, somewhat dreading the answer. If it _was _permanent, she could never go back home.

She inwardly sighed with relief as EvenBreeze shook her head. **_"No, your Life Force Crystal can change you between your two forms. Just as it can do the same for Hiroki."_**

At the mention of Hiroki, Kari turned around and looked for the boy. Her eyes widened as she saw him. His red hair now had streaks of fire orange and his skin was very tanned. He was wearing dust brown slacks and a red/orange tunic. He had on brown leather boots and a brown belt. He looked about as confused as Kari felt. He saw her a few seconds later and she noticed an 'approving' look come over his face. She sighed and shook her head; boys.

"**_So…what do you two think?" _**ScorchingFlame asked from beside Hiroki.

The two hesitated, then shrugged. **_"Whatever will help us win this war," _**Hiroki answered.

Nodding, EvenBreeze and ScorchingFlame motioned for them to sit down again. They did so tenatively, still getting used to their new forms. They looked up as a Nymph came, bearing two cups. They took them and nodded their thanks. Raising the cup to his lips, Hiroki took a hesitant drink, not sure what to expect. What he found was a flavorful liquid like nothing he had ever tasted before. It was very sweet.

"**_What is this?" _**he asked after drinking nearly half.

"**_A special wine," _**ScorchingFlame answered. **_"It is made especially for Elementals, hardly anyone else can handle it. It helps restore your energy, can't you feel it?"_**

Kari nodded as she drank. She could indeed feel the energy within her growing. All the pain of the exchange had been long forgotten. When she had finished, she gave the empty cup back to the Nymph. Hiroki mimicked her actions.

He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. **_"So, now that we have our true forms and all, what do we do?"_**

ScorchingFlame smiled somewhat deviously. **_"We train."_**

Both children groaned and Miyo giggled slightly from her place on one of the rocks.

'_Shoulda seen that one comin',' _Kari thought, dreading the days to come. _'But, like Hiroki said, whatever helps us win this war.'_

"**_Not tired already, are you?" _**ScorchingFlame taunted.

Hiroki, who was gasping for air, smirked cheekily. **_"Not a chance, but _you _look a little pooped, old man."_**

"**_Who you calling old?" _**he asked, playing along as he lunged towards Hiroki again, axes raised on the offensive.

Hiroki expertly blocked and leapt out of harm's way and into the sky. He had learned that he didn't need wings to fly, neither did Kari, they were just part of her form. All they really needed to do was 'ride their energy' as EvenBreeze put it. Basically, they could use their energy to levitate themselves. It was very cool in Hiroki's opinion.

He inwardly smiled as he continued his spar with ScorchingFlame. In the few days since he had received his true form, the two had trained together almost constantly and had become fairly close. He had even told his father of his 'crush' on Hikari, though a love-sick puppy might have been a more accurate description of how he actually felt. ScorchingFlame had advised him to tell Hikari how he felt, be he wasn't sure that he could just yet.

He was jerked out of his thoughts as ScorchingFlame attacked mercilessly, though he was really only trying to help his son develop more of an instinctive defense.

"**_Concentrate on using your senses as well as your mind to block," _**he said as he swung his axe down again. **_"You need to be able to defend yourself in battle even if your mind gets distracted."_**

Hiroki nodded to show that he understood. He didn't bother trying to clear his mind the next time his father attacked, the idea was to be able to fight without complete focus. He grimaced as he raised his axe in defense a millisecond too late causing the handles of the opposing weapons to hit, sending a bone-jarring jolt through him.

"**_Not bad, for your first time. But you need to get better. Again," _**ScorchingFlame said as he raised his axes again.

Hiroki nodded, signalling that he was ready. Drawing back in the sky a bit to give himself more momentum, ScorchingFlame dove for Hiroki. This time, the boy was ready, he told himself. Hiroki waited patiently for his attacker to get close enough for him to block. Suddenly, a voice came into his head.

""Hiroki, there are people coming this way from the east, I don't think they're friendly,"" Fury warned, managing to keep his tone calm.

Hiroki blinked, who could it be. Suddenly, he remembered he was still sparring with ScorchingFlame. Not even having time to turn around, he instinctively raised his axe, grunting at the jolt that the impact sent through him due to his poor form.

"**_Hiroki, what's wrong with you?" _**ScorchingFlame asked, voice tinted with concern. The boy had never done this badly in a spar before.

Ignoring ScorchingFlame, Hiroki flew higher quickly, trying to get above the protective canopy of Pomarius. Darting between tree brances and disregarding his father's calls to get back down there, it took him less than a minute to break through the barrier. He quickly turned to the east. At first he saw nothing, then he saw a small black mass on the horizon. He couldn't make out anything specific.

""Fury, let me see what you saw,"" he half-requested, half-ordered.

He could feel Fury's nod of consent and he quickly summoned the Sacred Sight that he had learned to use not too long ago under his father's guidance. His eyes morphed so that they resembled Fury's red/orange one's with his natural color of blue/green on the outskirts.

He frowned as he saw a large group of what looked to be about 150 Elementals, Spirit Animals, and Shadowlore. However, the Shadowlore looked relatively weak. He only wished that Takeru was here to verify that and to tell the power of the Elementals. One pair of Elemental and Spirit Animal caught his attention. It was a man in a cloak with a large serpent behind him. The serpent had jagged scars on its neck. He realized with a start that this was the same pair that had appeared with the Kioshen back so long ago. The scars on the snake had come from Fury's talons.

"**_He's back," _**he heard Kari state quietly.

He turned his head to see her just a few yards away. Her eyes had morphed as well, resembling Whisper's. Then, some rustling came from below and EvenBreeze and ScorchingFlame appeared, with somewhat worried looks on their faces.

"**_What's the matter?" _**EvenBreeze asked, referring to their odd behavior.

"**_Pomarius is to be attacked," _**Kari replied shortly.

Both of the elder's eyes widened. **_"What do you mean?" _**ScorchingFlame asked, demanding an explanation.

Hiroki answered this one. **_"A large army of Elementals, Spirit Animals, and weaker Shadowlore are heading this way. We've fought with the leader before, but it was a very close battle. Now it appears that he has formed a resistance to go against us."_**

"**_What shall we do?" _**EvenBreeze asked quietly, knowing that she could not help. When she and the other Guardians had become demon-dead, they had given up most of their power. They would probably get in the way if they were to fight.

As if able to tell what her mother was thinking, Kari quickly formulated a plan. **_"The two of us, along with Whisper and Fury, will draw the fight away from Pomarius. You two should get Miyo and all of the other residents here down below ground, in the tunnels. It will be the safest place. We will come when the fight is over."_**

ScorchingFlame and EvenBreeze nodded guiltily. They were sending two children with large birds out to fight an army while they hid below ground like cowards. ScorchingFlame looked up as Hiroki placed a hand on his shoulder.

"**_Don't feel guilty. Your time has passed, and now it is our turn," _**he said, smiling slightly. **_"I believe that we can do this. We have to, if we have any hope of defeating Isan and Shaukaka."_**

"**_Yeah," _**Kari joined in, **_"So, don't worry about us. We were chosen by destiny to save Hiata, so we must trust that destiny wants us to win this battle. Besides, we are powerful enough to win, even if the scales weren't tipped in our favor. But, go now. You must get everyone to safety. We can handle this."_**

Nodding again, the two elders disappeared beneath the canopy. Glancing at each other with mutual agreement, the two new Guardians flew high above the safety of the canopy towards the east, where they would meet the army.

It took them only minutes to get there, Whisper and Fury milliseconds behind. The floated a few yards above the ground, looking down mistrustingly as the leader stopped and looked up at them through the hood of his cloak.

"So, we meet again young Guardians," he bellowed. "I can assure you that you will not escape this time."

"We were surprised that you showed up so quickly," Hiroki said, trying to through the man off-guard. "Usually Shaukaka waits a few months before trying to get us back. Does she really want to suffer another embarrassing defeat so soon?"

The four in the sky were all surprised when the man let out a sharp laugh. "Do you truly believe that we would work for a weakling like Shaukaka? If you do, than you are more a fool than I thought."

"If you don't work for Shaukaka, then who do you work for and what do they want?" Kari demanded.

"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" the man asked, obviously enjoying the Guardian's discomfort. "Besides, what good would it do to tell you the answers to those questions when you'll no longer be among the living in a few short seconds anyway? Now, prepare to die. Attack!" he cried, sending a roar through his army.

Kari and Hiroki watched apprehensively as the archers raised their arrows and the winged Spirit Animals took flight. This was going to be one hell of a fight, outnumbered seventy-five to one, and they only prayed that they would win. For everyone's sake, they had to win.

A/N: well, I hope that didn't suck as much as I think it did. Like the last chap, it was really just kind of a filler. The next will have a lot more action and adventure.Anyway, I'm leaving for vacation on Friday, but I will try my best to have the next chapter up before I leave. Reviews might get me more motivated(hint, hint, wink, wink), and I will try to get the chapter after that up soon after I get back.


	19. Siara and Denzo

Disclaimer: Still don't own digimon

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! So, I was so worried about getting this up before I left that I worked extra hard and got it done two days early(Luckily, I didn't put anything _too _important off for it). I like this chapter a lot better than the last two, but that might just be me. Anyway, enjoy!

Question responses:  
'?'1)Miyo and Akio didn't really do anything of importance while the four were training at Vorago and Pomarius, they were just kind of there. 2)You've figured me out, I _do _have a lot of free time, however I also tend to put less favored things(like homework)off in order to write, I should probably stop that.;)

RinoaHeart7I _could_ tellyou when Tejuku reappears, but it might ruin some suspense for the story. You'll just have to wait to find out.Hope ya aren't too mad.

TK smiled slightly as he watched Akio playing with the wolves and lionesses on the other side of their camp. The boy had grown a bit in the seven months since they had found him and he could now reach around TK's stomach instead of his waist. TK smiled as Katya came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him lightly.

"We're nearly back there," she said. "After all, it took us about four months to reach Vorago, and we've been traveling for nearly 3 months now."

TK nodded. It really had been three months since they had left Vorago. Suprisingly, they had run into very little trouble, just a few rebels here and there that fled as soon as the two revealed even a fraction of their true powers. The lack of resistance may also have been due to the fact that they traveled through less-inhabited places and moved stealthly, trying not to be seen. The last thing they needed was yet another attack on their lives.

TK sighed contentedly as Katya's arms wrapped around him more tightly, though it would never go any farther than that. Ever since that night at Vorago, they had unconsciously set a code for their behavior. They never said 'I love you,' said anything about what they sometimes did, or showed more than the simplest affection in public, gestures that could easily be mistaken as a close friendship, nothing more. It was their way of protecting themselves from the inevitable separation that they knew was coming one way or another.

After a few moments, Katya stood up and stretched. "It's getting kinda late, we should probably get some sleep."

TK nodded. "You and Akio go ahead, I think I'm going to go get some water from the stream over there first."

Returning his nod, Katya started to walk over to Akio. "Be careful," she said quietly as she walked past him. He smiled slightly at her concern over such a simple thing as getting a drink and started to walk off into the woods. Apocalypse followed, being the closest.

It took him about 15 minutes to walk to the stream with Apocalypse's guidance. He patted the wolf's head before kneeling down and cupping his hands in the water. Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he slowly sipped the ice-cold water. He reached down to get another handful.

_Takeru… _

TK jumped a bit as the voice echoed through his head. He looked over at Apocalypse, but the wolf was still drinking from the stream as if nothing had happened.

_Takeru…_

/Apocalypse, do you hear that voice? It's come twice now./

Apocalypse looked at him oddly. /I didn't hear anything. Is something wrong? Is it danger/

TK shook his head slightly. "I don't know," he mumbled orally. He waited to see if the deep, masculine voice would come again. It did.

_Takeru…it's time to repay the favor I granted you… _

'_Favor?' _TK thought. _'What favor? Who is this?'_

_Come Takeru…you will not be hurt…come…follow my voice…you must…_

TK inwardly debated. He didn't feel a particularly evil aura from the voice, and he felt that it was honest when it said that he wouldn't be hurt. He also felt that he needed to go. The tug from his Life Force Crystal sealed his decision.

Rising, he headed for the direction he thought the voice was coming from, across the river and to the south.

/Takeru? Come back/ Apocalypse pleaded, bounding after him. /It is too dangerous to go off alone. Let's call one or two of the others at least. We can't risk you getting hurt again./

TK smiled slightly inwardly. His wolves were always overprotective. Placing a hand on Apocalypse's head, he stopped the wolf's pleas. /No Apocalypse, don't contact any of the others. We'll be fine./

/I'm not worried about _we, _I'm worried about _you_/ the wolf muttered.

TK scratched the wolf's head reassuringly before continuing. Apocalypse sulked and followed. He knew he should contact Rage at least, but he had been ordered not to. And since there was no immediate danger that could be sensed, he couldn't disobey. Instead, he just stayed alert, ready to defend his beloved master to the death if necessary.

Ahead of him, TK was barely even aware that the wolf was there. He was too busy focusing on locating the voice.

_You're close Takeru…just a bit further… _

When TK came upon an embankment that led down to an open cave, he instinctively knew it was the place. He also knew that he should go in alone; Apocalypse wouldn't take too kindly to that. Turning, he placed a hand on Apocalypse's neck, trying to reassure and relax the beast before he said anything.

/Apocalypse, I want you to stay up here./

/No/ the wolf protested before TK even finished. /It is my duty to protect you, I can't allow you to walk into an unknown place full of unknown dangers while I just sit up here./

/Apocalypse/ TK crooned softly, going for the soothing approach/I will be fine, I can sense evil after all. And I promise I will call the second I feel that I need any help, Besides, the cave is shallow, you won't lose sight of me for long./

Apocalypse let out a sigh and hung his head; he knew he wouldn't win. Takeru had ordered him to stay here and not call any of the others, so that was the only thing he could do.

Smiling at the wolf again, TK turned and headed down the steep embankment. When he reached the mouth of the cave, he peeked in hesitantly. When he saw nothing outright, he sent in a mental probe. He could detect nothing. But, he could have sworn this was where the voice was coming from.

_I am here Takeru…come in…do not be afraid… _

Swallowing his small fear, he stepped into the cave; slowly at first, but more quickly as he went deeper. He could feel Apocalypse's aggitation in the back of his mind. He subconsciously sent out soothing energy waves to the wolf. Suddenly, his connection with the wolf was cut off completely.

It was then that all the doubt he had forced away came back with a vengeance, the fear too. He gulped nervously as he continued deeper. It wasn't the lack of light that concerned him, he was the Shadow Mage and could see in the dark, it was the fact that he still couldn't sense any presence.

Suddenly, the darkness grew so severe that even _he_ couldn't see within it. He felt the palpable shadows pushing down on him heavily. Then, out of the darkness, an even darker figure appeared. TK could sense that it was very, _very _powerful.

"Who are you?" he asked, hoping he sounded braver than he felt.

_Do you not remember me?_ the husky masculine voice asked. _We have met once before, though I was not in this form. Do you not recognize my energy, at least?_

TK silently concentrated. The figure's energy did seem familiar, but he couldn't place it. It felt dark, very dark, but good at the same time, to TK at least. But, the only energy that had felt that way to him before had been…the Portal of Death. Could this figure be…no, it wasn't possible.

_Anything is possible in Hiata, _the voice replied. _I am who you think. I am the Portal of Death, and I am here to collect a debt._

"What debt?" TK asked, feeling a bit unnerved.

_While I did not create your Life Force Crystal, I gave you the opportunity to use it instead of pulling you through. In order for this to continue, you must repay me every six months._

"Repay you with what?" TK asked, still nervous.

_For a small time every six months, you must relinquish everything you are to me. Your energy, your power, your memories, your soul, everything. I will take what I desire and return the rest._

TK's eyes widened substantially. The Portal of Death saw this and continued.

_Do not be afraid, I swear I will not harm you. What I need more than anything is energy. You surrender the other things to show your loyalty, and just incase I _do _need something more. Now, will your debt be repaid, or shall your life be taken for good?_

TK considered, it was really no choice at all. He _had_ to keep living.

"How do I perform this ritual?" he asked quietly. He felt, more than saw, the Portal smile in satisfaction.

_Call out your Crystal._

With slight hesitation, TK obeyed, grateful that it no longer hurt to do so. He held it in his hand, aura and all, and awaited the next direction.

_Take your dagger and prick the center of your right palm, then grasp the Crystal in your hand. Not the aura, the actual Crystal._

With a perplexed look on his face, he pulled his dagger out of the sheath on his belt and carefully cut the center of his right palm. He quickly wiped the blood on the tip on his shirt and sheathed the knife again. Then, he placed the Crystal in his right hand. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on going past the aura's barrier. He was both surprised and dismayed to find that the barrier was fairly weak.

When he held the very fragile Crystal in his bleeding hand, he looked back up at the figure in front of him.

_Immerse yourself entirely inside your Crystal, severing all ties with your body so that I may enter your Crystal as well and take what I will as payment. You may want to sit down for this, _he advised.

Lowering to sit with his legs tucked under him, he did as he had been told. In a practiced way, he descended within his Crystal, mentally walking on the familiar twisted pathways. He went down as far as he could, to the glowing orb that marked his ability to transform. Once there, he sat down cross-legged and focused on blocking the head of the pathway that led back up to reality. While it would not be a difficult barrier for him to disable later, it should suffice in temporarily cutting him off from his body.

When the barrier had been successfully made, he experienced the most amazing feeling. It was like he was suspended in time and space. Nothing was moving and he felt weightless because he was not tied down to a physical body. However, this weightlessness also sent small waves of nausea through him.

He closed his eyes, but snapped them open again as a figure entered his Crystal. He first reaction was rage; no one was allowed in this most private place of his! But then, his mind flashed back to just a minute or two ago. It wasn't an intruder then, but the Portal of Death, a visitor.

He looked up and stood as said visitor appeared in front of him. The Portal didn't say anything, and the two simply stood in silence. Suddenly, the Portal raised his hand and TK felt other unwelcome visitors in his Crystal. Before he could move, however, shadow bindings wrapped around each of his arms and legs, holding him still. He gasped and looked up fearfully, subconsciously gathering what power he could to defend himself.

_Be not afraid, this is for your protection. Should you try to move or fight during the exchange, you could be seriously injured. Depending on how you fare this time, this may not be required in six months. Now, are you ready?_

Hesitantly, TK nodded. He was still a bit unsure about this whole thing. He tried not to show his fear as the Portal of Death grasped his chin firmly and lifted it up, forcing the boy to look into its face. Well, it wasn't really a _face, _as it had no features, but it was where a face should be.

_Relax, _the Portal ordered. _You must surrender yourself completely to me. I promise yet again that no harm will befall you. Do you understand?_

TK closed his eyes for a second, bracing himself for the frightening unknown. When he reopened them, he stared at where the Portal's eyes should have been and focused on disabling his own mental barriers. He nodded slightly when his defenses had been lowered enough for the Portal of Death to enter.

Still grasping the boy's chin firmly, the Portal looked past the boy's eyes and into his very mind and soul. He saw memories of Earth and the Digital world, of Takeru's friends and family. He could feel the pain of the divorce, Angemon's deletion, and his brother's desertion. He could feel Takeru flich at being reminded of such memories, and could feel the resistance the boy felt towards someone going through them.

Since he didn't wish to have a mental fight with the boy, and the memories weren't what he wanted, the Portal of Death went deeper within the small Mage, stopping as he came to his life energy. _This _was what the Portal wanted.

Dipping invisible hands into the pool of life energy, the Portal began slowly absorbing it. He could feel the results almost immediately; he hadn't anticipated that the boy's life energy would be this strong and potent, not that it was a bad thing. As he continued to absorb it, he found that it was nearly intoxicating. He didn't want to stop. He had to remind himself twice not to take too much. When the pool was close to empty, he pulled away.

Rising back up into his own body, he noticed that the boy had gone limp in the shadow bindings. He wasn't worried, it was to be expected after the massive energy transfer. It wouldn't take him long to wake up. Carefully releasing the boy, the Portal left the Crystal, taking his shadow bindings with him.

Once back in the cave, the Portal saw that Takeru had slumped to the side, Crystal lying in a slack hand. Receeding into the shadows and heading for the Underworld, the Portal of Death allowed himself to feel some satisfaction. It had been a wonderful trade.

Takeru woke up only minutes after the Portal of Death had left. At first, he was very confused and disoriented. Where was he? What had happened? Why was he so tired? And why was he holding his Crystal?

Then, the memories of the past several minutes came rushing back to him. He remembered the Portal of Death going through some of his more painful memories, much to his distress, before going down to his life energy and draining it. That must be why he felt so weak. He was thankful that he wouldn't have to go through that somewhat frightening experience again for another six months.

Taking a few seconds to gather his strength, he tried to force his exhausted body upright. However, he was only able to get to his hands and knees. Sighing at his weakness, he reabsorbed his Life Force Crystal before beginning to slowly crawl towards the mouth of the cave, glad that no one was here to see him lose his pride. It took him about 5 minutes to reach the place where his connection with Apocalypse had been lost. He was very comforted to find it back again, but he could feel that the wolf's anxiety was now bordering on panic.

/Apocalypse? Calm down./ he said soothingly.

/Takeru/ the wolf replied. /I was so afraid something had happened. I lost touch with you, but you said I couldn't call the others or go in to find you. I was so worried/

/It's alright/ TK said in a calm, yet exhausted voice. /But, can you please come get me? I'm too tired to walk back on my own./

He felt Apocalypse's panic flare up again and felt the wolf coming closer quickly. In only seconds, he found the wolf at his side.

/You are hurt/ the wolf stated guiltily, bowing his head. /I should have been here to protect you. What happened/

TK reached out and took the wolf's head into his hands reassuringly. /I'm not hurt, only tired. And nothing that happened here was against my will. I wouldn't have allowed you to protect me, even if you had disobeyed and come./

The wolf raised his eyes, feeling slightly less guilty. /But, what happened/

TK frowned a bit, trying to figure out how to word it. In the end, he decided that a picture was worth a thousand words. Closing his eyes, he quickly sent the images from his memory of the last ten minutes or so to his wolf. At the end, Apocalypse nuzzled him.

/But, you are alright now/ he asked, still concerned as was his nature.

TK nodded. /Like I said, I'm just tired. Do you think you could carry me back to camp? I'm almost positive I won't make it on my own./

Mentally nodding, Apocalypse crouched down close to Takeru. TK scooted as close as he could before grabbing a couple handfuls of fur and trying to hoist himself onto Apocalypse's back. He smiled gratefully as the wolf turned his head and gave his side a gentle nudge, successfully helping him up.

TK automatically balanced himself as Apocalypse rose and started out at a mild pace. As he laid on the wolf's great back, head resting on the soft black fur, he found himself easily dozing off. But, before he could let himself sleep, there was one more thing he had to do.

/Apocalypse/ he started in a slightly groggy voice.

/Yes/

/You may tell the other wolves what happened, but if Katya, Akio, or any of the Lionesses ask, simply tell them that I decided to take a rest at the stream before heading back and fell asleep, okay? All they need to know right now is that I'm not hurt./

Apocalypse silently consented, not quite sure what his master's motives were, but trusting him completely. He carefully made his way back to the camp, moving gracefully so as not to jolt his sleeping master.

When he arrived at the camp, he was greeted with a barrage of mental questions from the other wolves, though they really showed no outward movement. Quickly, Apocalypse shared with them the images that Takeru had shown him. While they were slightly unsettled, they accepted it easily enough. Apocalypse turned his head as Katya sat up from where she had been lying, and looked at Takeru with a bit of concern.

"Is he hurt?" she asked quietly, not wanting to wake the already asleep Akio.

Apocalypse shook his head, obeying Takeru's request.

"Oh, just sleeping then?" Katya asked, smiling slightly as the wolf nodded. Satisfied that her lover was not harmed, she laid back down and closed her eyes.

Apocalypse carried Takeru over towards the other wolves. When he laid down, he felt Frenzy gently lift Takeru off of him and place him softly against Midnight. The latter female then moved her tail so that it was covering Takeru before lying her head back on her paws and closing her eyes.

From just a few feet away, Rage watched his master slumber. He was a bit disturbed by what had happened, and hoped that it wouldn't come back to haunt them in the future. They had enough to worry about without this too.

In the morning, Akio was one of the first awake. He sat up quietly, not wanting to wake his Mama. Looking over, he saw that his Papa was sleeping with the wolves. He frowned, something wasn't right.

Standing up, he walked over to his Papa, uneasy feeling growing as he got closer, though he couldn't place it. When he got close enough, he realized that it was his Papa's energy that was sending off the warning signal. It was dangerously low.

"What happened?" he asked Midnight, who had just woken up.

Expending some energy, Midnight answered him in human tongue with the story that Takeru had come up with. At the end, Akio looked into the wolf's eyes, unblinking.

"You're lying," he stated.

Midnight's eyes, as well as the eyes of the other wolves, widened. They watched as Akio reached out a hand towards TK and closed his eyes. They could sense that the boy was going through their master's memories, but how was that possible? It just didn't make any sense.

After a few moments, Akio reopened his eyes. They no longer looked like the eyes of a boy, rather, the eyes of an elder. He looked at the wolves.

"Do not worry, I will not tell the others. It is not their time to know." Suddenly, his eyes reverted back to their normal, carefree state. "Come on," he said to Tempest, tugging her fur a little. "We have to go get water for Papa."

Tempest nodded and rose, still confused by the rapid and drastic changes that had overtaken the small boy just seconds ago. She couldn't fathom how the happy boy skipping ahead of her, canteen in hand, could seem so much like a serious wise-man at such sudden intervals.

Shaking her head and deciding that it was all just too perplexing, Tempest continued to follow the boy who, for some reason, seemed to know where he was going. Was it possible that he had seen how Takeru had gotten to the stream and was following the same path? After what had just happened, she didn't doubt anything.

It took the two just over 20 minutes to reach the stream, as Akio's legs were shorter than Takeru's and he couldn't make the trip as quickly. Humming a nonsensical tune, Akio knelt on a rock that jutted out into the stream and leaned out to fill the canteen. Tempest stayed close, ready to leap into action should any enemies come or should he fall in. But, no enemies came, and he didn't fall in.

Standing back up, Akio looked at the filled canteen in his hands and sighed. He knew this water would help his Papa, but not very much, and not very soon. His Mama would get suspicious. He wished that he had that special blood tonic, it would make things so much easier.

As he continued wishing, his eyes suddenly flashed, and the canteen in his hands glowed. He nearly dropped it in shock and Tempest rose, alert for any danger. Peering into the canteen curiously, he gasped. It was no longer water, it was blood-red liquid…the blood tonic! How did that happen?

Mentally shrugging, he decided that it didn't matter _how _it happened, all that mattered was that it had. Capping the canteen, he turned and bounded over to Tempest. He tugged on her fur.

"Come on, we have to get back to Papa before Mama wakes up!"

Tempest nodded as she grasped the back of the boy's shirt with her teeth and placed him on her back. She then trotted quickly, arriving back at the camp in just a few minutes. Luckily for them, Katya was still sound asleep. Going over to Midnight, Tempest knelt, allowing Akio to slide off.

Akio shook TK's shoulder. "Papa? Papa, wake up. I got something for you."

TK slowly opened his eyes, groaning slightly as he still felt so weak. "Kid? What is it? Is something wrong?"

Akio shook his head. "Nope, nothing's wrong. But, I got something for you. Here." He opened the canteen and held it out to TK. "Drink this, you'll feel all better."

Shakily, TK pulled himself up so that he was propped against Midnight. He took the canteen and weakly held it to his lips. Tilting it slightly, he expected to find water in his mouth. He was very pleasantly surprised to taste the blood tonic. He only drank about a third of it before he felt that all of his energy was restored. Recapping the canteen, he decided to save the rest for emergencies.

Holding out his arms, he beckoned for Akio. The boy smiled and clambered into his lap. TK smiled back and gave him a small hug.

"Where'd you get this kid?"

"I dunno, it just kinda…appeared."

TK frowned. That was…odd. Wait…how did Akio know what was wrong with him anyway? Had his wolves told? Mental contact with Midnight quickly ended that theory and created a new disturbing development. He sighed. He wasn't sure he'd ever understand Akio, and if he did, it would take forever and a day.

He thought about it for another minute or two, until movement to the side alerted him. He turned his head and saw that Katya was getting up. She smiled and walked over to the two of them.

"You must have been very tired yesterday to just fall asleep at the stream. And here I thought you were supposed to be all tough and indestructable," she teased.

TK rolled his eyes, glad that she didn't doubt his story. Standing up, he placed Akio on Midnight before heading over to Rage. "Come on, let's get an early start. I want to get back as soon as possible," he said. But, what he really meant was, _'I want to get back to someplace safer before you have to deal with the Portal of Death.'_

Still smiling, Katya nodded and walked over to Star. They had no real 'stuff', so it was easy to simply leave at a moments notice. Really, they each only had a small bag with a change of clothes and a canteen. They also each had weapons that they had bought from a blacksmith a few towns back. TK had twin double-edge swords while Katya had a metal staff with an eight inch blade coming out from the top, and a 6 inch blade going out from the side where the other blade met the staff. They were top class weapons, but they hadn't really been needed yet.

Starting their journey at a brisk trot, the group made very good time. At this rate, it would only take them a few weeks to get back to Karina's. While none of them were very keen on seeing Karina again, they really wanted to see their friends.

For most of the day, the journey was smooth and uneventful, just riding through fields and forests, really. But then, around twilight, TK started to get a bad feeling. It was his 'evil' sense going off. From what he could tell, it was coming from about 150 yards ahead of them. However, he couldn't tell exactly what or who was causing the feeling. That bothered him more than anything else.

"What should we do?" Katya asked after he had told her what he felt.

TK shrugged. "There's not much we _can_ do. We have to keep going ahead unless we want to add another couple weeks to our journey. I can't pinpoint where it's coming from, so I suppose we'll just have to be extra careful. There's also the chance that I'm simply misinterpreting the feeling."

Katya nodded. "Makes sense, I guess. I just hope this isn't a trap."

"We'll be ready if it is," TK replied, urging Rage forward.

Star followed, as did the rest of the Shadow Beasts. After traveling about ninety more yards they saw that there was a town up ahead. It looked fairly developed; large, with both stone and wooden buildings. However, there was no defensive wall surrounding it, a slightly unsettling fact. Who lived in this town that they felt they didn't need any security barriers?

Approaching cautiously, they were surprised to see that the town appeared deserted. TK slid off Rage and took Akio off of Midnight.

/Stay around the town limits, but don't be seen./ he told his wolves.

Swiftly and silently, they bounded off. Katya's lionesses weren't far behind. Handing Akio to Katya, TK started to walk further into the town. First they passed the houses of the poorer people on the outskirts; all the lights were out. Then, they came to the main streets, where the businesses and taverns were; again, everything was dark and quiet and the buildings looked slightly rundown.

Katya edged closed to Takeru, unnerved. In every other town that they had been in, there had been crowds at every time of the day and night, why was this town so different? Walking deeper in, they found that the whole town was empty. They were about to leave when suddenly, Katya's power flared up.

She found herself looking at another reality. She was in the same town, but it was flourishing. There were people everywhere, almost all were happy and laughing. Children were playing in the streets, women were gossiping, men were heading in to the taverns from work. It looked like a picturesque place. However, there were two figures that looked anything but happy, a fact that caught Katya's attention almost immediately.

It was a young girl and boy, they looked to be brother and sister. The boy looked a year or two older. They both had black hair, pale skin, and odd purplish eyes. They were dressed all in black and stood apart from the crowd. Suddenly, they began to run. Katya mentally followed them, wanting to know why they looked so terrified.

They ran down the main street and down a side road to the right. At the end of this side road, there was an alley on the left. The two went down the alley and came upon a trap door in the ground.

The boy opened the door and went down a few of the steep steps before turning and beckoning for his sister. The girl started towards him but before she entered the trap door, she turned and Katya could have sworn that she looked directly at her, as if asking her to come as well. Then, they were gone and the trapdoor slammed shut.

Katya was then thrown from her vision back to the present. She was very confused. Her gift allowed her to see into the future, but that had almost seemed like the past. All the buildings had been in top shape, not rotting as they were now. Everything had been the same in the layout of the town; an unlikely thing for a city of the future. Normally, the town would have been bulldozed and a new one put in its place.

Was it possible, then, that she _had _seen into the past? It didn't really seem plausible. After all, if that power hadn't developed when she had been training at Vorago, why would it suddenly flare up now? There was no sensibility in it.

She was jerked out of her thoughts by Takeru shaking her shoulder. She jumped a bit and looked at him curiously.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "You spaced out on us there for a minute."

Katya nodded, mind still stuck on the vision. The only way it was going to not bother her was if she checked it out.

"Come on," she said suddenly, starting down the main road, still holding Akio.

TK blinked. "Katya? Where're we going?" he asked, following her.

"I have to check something," she mumbled just loudly enough for him to hear.

TK nodded and stayed silent, recognizing that this was important to her for some reason. He stayed alert though, watching the shadows for any hidden beings. He followed Katya down the street and to the right. Then, they went down an alley to the left. Katya placed Akio on the ground and began to pull away the debris at the end of the alley.

TK watched, confused. "Umm…Katya? Why are you going through that trash?"

"There's something underneath here," she muttered, not stopping. "I saw it."

It didn't take TK more than a second or two to realize that she was referring to her ability to see into the future. He was surprised though, as it usually didn't flare up too often. Deciding to ask questions later, he started to help her move the debris. Akio tried to help too, though he was so little that he could only move the small things.

Between the three of them, it took only a few minutes to completely clear the small area. Katya knelt down and began brushing away the dirt. TK silently watched, wondering what she was looking for. Apparently she found it, he noted, as her face lit up.

"Help me with this," she beckoned, not looking up at him.

He knelt as well, not sure what he was helping with, but ready to help all the same. When he was on his knees, he noticed that there was the outline of a door in the ground. This must have been what Katya was looking for, no wonder she was so anxious and excited.

Each taking hold of a side of the door, they tried to pull it open. At first, it wouldn't budge. Then, it started to move little by little. With one last hard pull, it opened. Before they could see what was in it, though, something darted out and slammed it shut again.

TK instinctively stood and pulled Akio behind him; Katya stood to the other side. In the dark, TK could make out that it was a girl figure, probably their age, with long dark hair and pale skin.

"Trespassers aren't welcome here," she hissed. TK could see her large fangs as she spoke. "Leave now."

"We aren't trespassers," Katya stated, carefully creating a small ball of light in her hand, slightly illuminating the small area. "We are travelers. Nothing more."

The figure backed away from the light slightly. "Nothing?" she hissed. "Nobody is nothing. What purpose have you, travelers?"

The two Mages glanced at each other, unsure of what to answer. TK couldn't be sure if the bad feeling was coming from this girl, but it didn't appear to be so. He felt as though they might be able to trust her…maybe. He decided to take a risk.

"Do you want to know the truth?" he asked.

The girl nodded hesitantly, as if debating on whether or not this was a trap.

"We are two of the Guardians," he stated simply. "We came here simply to rest."

The girl gasped sharply. "The Guardians, you say?" she asked, voice sounding less beast-like, and more human.

She stepped forward towards TK slightly. Reaching out slowly to show that she meant no harm, she took his hand. Using a sharp fingernail to trace a pattern in his palm, she closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. After a moment, she pulled back.

"You speak the truth," she said quietly before turning around again. "Come, my brother will wish to meet you."

She reopened the trap door and walked down. They followed, still wary. Katya picked Akio up for extra insurance. As soon as they had walked inside, the trap door slammed shut again. Dark torches lined the stone hallway they were in, casting a shadowed glow, just enough for Katya to see in. TK, of course, had no problem.

After just a few minutes, they reached an archway. Walking through, they found themselves in a large open room with hallways on each side. The girl started to walk down another one. TK stopped, dark sense going haywire.

"Wait," he called to the girl. "Just who are you and where are you taking us?" he realized that it was a little late to be asking, as they had already followed her, but they could easily find their way out from here if this whole thing turned out to be a setup.

The girl faced him with a slight smile on her lips. "I am Siara. Right now, we are in the underground part of the city, where we few surviving residents live. I am taking you to see my brother Denzo. We've been waiting for the Guardians for as long as I can remember."

TK paused, looking her over. She appeared to be sincere. And if this Denzo person was an enemy, it might be better to meet him now and gather some information on him. But, if he was a friend, this meeting could prove all the more critical. Nodding, he motioned for her to continue leading them.

Small smile still on her lips, she did. Looking behind him, he saw that Katya had an odd look on her face; like she sensed something, but didn't know what it was. She caught his look and sent him a reassuring glance. Satisfied, he turned and followed Siara down the hall. They arrived at a large door not long after. Not bothering to knock, Siara opened it and motioned for them to follow.

This room was lighted a bit more than the corridors. They saw that there were several chairs in the room, all facing a large wooden desk. There was a larger chair behind the desk. Off to the side, there was a table that appeared to have a map on it. There was a boy that greatly resembled the girl at this table. He looked up as they walked in.

Baring his fangs at the unknown strangers, he seemingly transported over and placed himself in front of Siara.

"Are you hurt, little sister?" he asked softly, not taking his eyes off the travelers for a second.

Siara shook her head and took his arm, trying to soothe him. "No, dear brother. These are two of the Guardians. They have come to save Hiata."

The boy's fierce gaze softened slightly at this. "Is it true?" he asked them.

TK nodded. "Yes. I am the Shadow Mage, and she is the Light Mage. I assume you are Denzo, correct?"

The boy nodded, stepping into the light a bit more. As soon as he did, Katya gasped.

"You're the boy from my vision!" she exclaimed. "Only, you're older."

"What vision?" he asked, genuine curiousity in his voice.

"I have the power to see into the future, and apparently the past. I saw you two run to the trap door among all of the happy people when this place was blossoming. Is it true? Or was it my imagination?"

Denzo nodded sadly. "It's true. We could sense the danger coming, so we ran here many years ago. Shortly after, the plague swept through the city, killing everyone who hadn't been able to get down here. However, it did have some…affects on us as well."

"It turned you into vampires, didn't it?" TK asked.

This time, Siara nodded. "We had always had some vampire blood in us, but it was dormant and didn't show. This plague caused it to overun our systems and turn us full-blooded. But, how did you know that? How did you know we hadn't been born vampires?"

TK shrugged. "I am generally in tune with the Darkness, and I suppose I just sensed it. I can't really explain. But, tell me. Does the plague still exist near here? I sensed a great evil around this area, but it's not coming from you, yet I can't pinpoint it."

Denzo shook his head. "The plague is long gone, we merely stay down here out of habit. I do not know what you sensed but please, make yourselves comfortable. We have been waiting for your salvation for a very long time, far be it for us to make you stand the whole time you are here, no?" he asked, smiling slightly.

TK smiled back, he liked this pair. It felt like they had found another worthy ally. After sitting down and being served some special wine, Katya turned to Siara and asked a question that had been bothering her since they had met.

"Siara, how did you know that we were telling the truth? You had every right not to believe us."

"I am a Mage like you, my brother as well. My mental power is being able to see someone's lies."

"And what of your other power? And yours too," she added, turning to Denzo.

Denzo answered for both of them. "My sister controls Song, meaning that she can create deadly illusions with her voice. I control Time, to an extent, and can anticipate my enemies moves. It is helpful in battle."

TK nodded and was about reply, when suddenly his dark sense flared up again, this time worse than the others. He closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to determine where it was coming from. After a moment or two, he was able to determine that it was coming from the east. Tempest, Frenzy, and Dusk were around there. Keeping his eyes closed, he used his Sacred Sight to see through each of them. However, while he _saw_ nothing out of the ordinary, he felt that someone was holding up a barrier to block his powers. That had only happened once before that he could recall.

"Oh no," he stated quietly, reopening his eyes. He felt everyone looking at him.

"What is it?" Katya asked.

"It's Tejuku. He's here. And he's not alone."

Katya's eyes widened while Siara and Denzo simply looked confused.

"Who's Tejuku?" Siara asked from her position on the floor by her brother's chair.

TK's expression grew darker. "My twin brother, you could say. My _evil _twin brother, anyway. He's out to settle the feud that his father had with mine and he will stop at nothing to complete his task."

"We shall help you fight him," Denzo declared.

TK considered it. "It would be nice to have help with his army, but Tejuku is mine."

Denzo nodded in understanding before rising. "Come on, there are several tunnels that lead in every direction. Just tell me which way he is, and we may be able to have the element of surprise on our side."

"He is to the east."

"This way," Denzo said, walking out the door.

TK and Katya rose, but then Katya remembered Akio. She placed him back in the chair.

"Akio," she said. "Stay here, where it's safe. We'll come get you when the fight is over."

"But Mama-"

"No buts," TK cut in quietly, remembering what had happened the last time Akio had been around Tejuku. "Stay here."

Akio silently nodded, recognizing the authoritative and determined look in his Papa's eyes.

"I will send someone in to stay with him," Siara offered. "But, we must hurry now."

Understanding the urgency, the two nodded and followed her, leaving Akio behind. The four walked briskly down the hall before turning down another. This was the one heading east. As they came closer to the end, TK could feel that his wolves had already moved into the area. Tempest, Frenzy, or Dusk must have told the others of his thoughts. He could also feel Katya's lionesses.

They soon reached the end of the tunnel and a ladder that reached up into the darkness.

"We are about a mile from the center of the town, so we can fight without endangering the others. Are you ready, then?" Denzo asked.

TK nodded. "Just one question. Do you have Shadow Beasts?"

The two smiled slightly mischeviously. "Because we have the same blood, we have the same Shadow Beasts," Siara answered. "Between us, we have twenty very large and very poisonous spiders."

"That ought to tip the odds," Denzo added.

Katya nodded. "Yes, but don't underestimate him. He is very powerful. No doubt his allies are as well. Now, let's go."

Giving an affirmative nod, Denzo started up the ladder, followed by Siara, Takeru, and finally Katya. When he reached the top, Denzo pushed open another trap door and climbed out. The group found themselves in a large open area still insight of the town, but far enough away to avoid having to worry about destroying it.

Soon after they emerged, the ten wolves and ten lionesses appeared. Then, there was a scurrying and TK noticed several 3-foot-long tarantulas. He could hear their fangs clicking together in anticipation. He turned his attention to the top of the hill in front of them, waiting for Tejuku and his lackeys to make an appearance. A few minutes later, they did.

Tejuku appeared first, twin swords on his back, followed by a girl his age with a spear similar to Katya's. After all of them, there came his ten coyotes along with ten large, female cheetahs. Following them was the force of ground soldiers, mostly lowly Shadowlore and weak Mages. However, they all appeared to be seasoned warriors.

"Well, _brother,_" Tejuku spat out venomously. "We meet again. You won't be so lucky as to escape this time."

"As I recall," Takeru started in a neutral tone. "_You _were the one escaping with the help of your 'mistress'. Are you really so weak that you can't fight your own battles?"

Tejuku scowled. "You'll regret that," he growled out. Then, he looked to Katya. "And don't think that I've forgotten about you, pretty little Light Mage. I've brought you a playmate. This is Reitya, and she's been very anxious to get to fight you," he said, motioning to the girl next to him.

Reitya glared at Katya, who returned the look. She gripped her spear more tightly in anticipation.

"Now," Tejuku said, drawing his swords and staring Takeru down. "It's time to fight!"

A/N: just a reminder that I'll be on vacation for the next week, so the next chap. could possibly be 2 weeks away. I'll try as hard as I can to get it up soon! Well, you know the drill, please review! Adios!


	20. Enter the Abbey

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

A/N: I was really unhappy with the last version of this chapterso I decided to rewrite parts of it. What I did was I added something in the last half to make it less boring. So, if you've already read it, the top portion is exactly the same, but the bottom part is changed. HopefullyI succeededin making it at least a little better. It's still not my best chap, but hopefully it's better than before. I don't know what else I could do to make it anybetter without compromising some other chaps. I hope it's satisfactory.

Kari darted through the sky as the archers from the army below let their arrows fly. It was like a wall of wood and sharp points coming towards them rapidly. Kari called upon her wind power to blow them away, however, some made it through her torrent. She figured that the ones that did must be magically protected.

Gracefully, she swooped through the clear blue sky, easily avoiding the arrows, before raising her own bow. Setting an arrow, she let it fly into the ranks below, killing one of the many archers. She sighed. It was going to take a long time to win if they had to pick off the army one member at a time. They needed a faster method.

She was so caught up in trying to formulate a plan, that she didn't notice a large raven Spirit Animal rise up behind her. She turned quickly as it screeched and saw its talons only a few feet away. She froze, she knew she didn't have time to move. She let out a sharp gasp as Hiroki came barreling into her, knocking her out of the way just in time.

"Are you alright?" he asked, worried.

She nodded. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that."

"That's alright, but we'd better just stay focused on the fight from now on. Let's go."

Kari nodded again as he flew off, swinging at the Spirit Animals with his axe. He was right, they needed to concentrate. Any strategies would have to suddenly develop in the midst of battle, they couldn't afford to spend time formulating them.

Clearing her mind, she returned focus to the battle as she let more arrows fly into the army below. She vaguely sensed Whisper fighting several yards behind her with another bird-type Spirit Animal. She wasn't worried about her large bird, she knew she could take care of herself.

She continued shooting her arrows and dodging attacks from both below and above until, about twenty minutes into the battle, her large supply of arrows ran out. She quickly secured her bow on her back with the two empty quivers and drew her dagger. Taking a deep breath, she flew down to the ground, ready for some hand-to-hand combat.

On the other side of the battle field, Hiroki was battling with a flying Shadowlore. This Shadowlore was nearly twice his size, but was only half as strong. Its defense was good, though, and it had blocked most of Hiroki's attacks.

Hiroki sighed, getting frustrated. He could probably finish this being in an instant with a blast of fire, but he knew that he would probably need all the energy he could get later. Raising his axe yet again, he brought it down on the beast with tremendous speed and force. This blow, the creature could not block. It sliced through him cleanly and he fell back down to the ground, dead instantly.

Not giving the creature another thought, Hiroki looked around for his next opponent. He didn't see anymore flying beings, other than the ones that were being taken care of by Whisper and Fury. Suddenly, he noticed Hikari on the ground, fighting with a large Shadowlore. She seemed to be doing pretty well, but then the Shadowlore managed to knock her dagger away.

She backed up as it advanced and swung down heavily with its sharp claws. She quickly jumped back into the air to escape, but the creature still made a fairly large gash in her side. Hiroki growled in anger and rushed down to where she was hovering.

"Are you alright?" he asked, obviously concerned.

She nodded, not trusting her voice to sound as strongly as she would have liked. While her injury wasn't life threatening, it did hurt a great deal.

Hiroki was less than satisfied with her answer, but he could do nothing for her at the present time. She was still fit to battle, so that's what she had to do. With a last statement of 'be careful,' Hiroki and Hikari flew separate ways.

Hiroki immediately flew to the Shadowlore that had hurt Hikari and cut him down. Afterwards, he sliced through a few more Shadowlore, taking out his anger at Hikari's injury on them. A few minutes later, he looked around to see what progress they had made. Amazingly, just over half of the army was gone; the weak Shadowlore half anyway, along with some Spirit Animals and a couple of Elementals. Now, it was just the two Guardians against a couple dozen semi-strong Elementals and their still-intact Spirit Animals.

'_I guess this is where it gets serious,' _Hiroki thought grimly as he flew up to Fury, Whisper, and Hikari.

Hikari was resting on Whisper and looking down at the remaining enemies with eyes just as grim as Hiroki's. It was clear that the second half of the battle was going to be much, much tougher than the first. Urgently, she looked down to her side, hoping against hope that it had healed enough for her to focus solely on the upcoming fight. She sighed as a sharp wave of pain traveled up her side. At least the bleeding had stopped, if nothing else.

Hikari?- Whisper asked.

Yes?-

Are you well to fight?-

Hikari mentally nodded. –I am well enough.-

Whisper didn't seem satisfied, but knew better than to push. She simply vowed to keep a closer eye on her charge, as she could do little else.

The group in the sky watched apprehensively as the mass on the ground returned to formation and prepared to attack. They weren't entirely sure they could win against such a large group of strong Elementals, but they knew they had to try.

As they watched from above, the first line of about a dozen Elementals down below stepped forward slightly. They were chanting something, but the hovering group couldn't make it out. All of a sudden, a wall of ghostly, three-dimensional images of some of the magical beings of Hiata rushed towards them. They looked just like harmless ghosts, but the four suspected that they were more than that. Their first instinct was to fly away, but there was no where to run. They settled for standing their ground instead.

As the wall of translucent beings grew nearer, Kari slid off Whisper and hovered next to her, all the while gathering her energy. When the wall was just a few yards away, she fired the first shot, hitting a horrific-looking ghostly Dark Nymph directly in the chest. The image of the Dark Nymph flickered and shrieked before disappearing. However, there were still hundreds of images coming towards them. No matter how many they shot and "killed," there always seemed to be more.

The wall of wailing beasts surrounded them, slowly closing in. They could feel the aura these beings gave off, confirming their suspicions about them being more than just ghosts or images. But, how could they possibly destroy all of them before they were destroyed themselves? Suddenly, Kari's inner sense activated.

The creature's greatest weakness, and the weakness of their wielders, was earth-type Elemental magic…like fire. She looked over to Hiroki, idea forming in her mind.

"Hiroki?" she called quietly.

He glanced over. "Yeah?"

"Create a small wall of fire, like you did back in the alter room of the other town."

Hiroki paused, looking at her with a confused expression.

"Just do it," she urged, "Hurry!"

Nodding, Hiroki created several balls of fire, lining them up in front of the two. Then, he let loose their power, letting them explode and creating a mass of fire. Immediately, Kari called upon her wind power. She aimed a medium-strength gust towards the flames. It was clear when the two made contact by the wild growth and motion of the fire. Kari smiled, her plan was working.

She manipulated the wind throughout the flames until they grew over twice as large as they had been before. She saw the ghostly figures start to back off, clearly frightened. Not wanting to give them a chance to retreat completely, she sent a last burst of wind, causing the flames to engulf all of the beasts. The air was filled with loud shrieks and hisses as, one by one, the creatures dissipated. Suddenly, some yells of pain sounded from the ground as well.

Looking down sharply, the four found that the Elementals who had cast the spell were writhing in pain as well. Most were on their knees on the ground, holding their heads as they yelled. Kari's stomach turned as she saw blood coming from their mouths, noses, and even eyes. She couldn't explain why this horrible event was happening, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to know. All she knew was that it had something to do with the destruction of the illusion.

After a few seconds, the men fell silent and began to drop to the ground completely, finally dead. Kari felt a small pang of guilt at having had a hand in causing them so much pain, but she quickly and easily pushed it away.

The other dozen or so Elementals, who had simply watched calmly as their companions suffered and died, now looked up at the two Guardians and two birds again. Both Hiroki and Kari were shocked that they seemed to feel no remorse for their fallen comrades. This lack of emotion made them seem…unhuman, almost. Though, on Hiata, there was no guarantee that they were ever _human _in the first place.

The two sides spent the next few minutes simply sizing each other up. From above, the four could see that there were exactly thirteen Elementals left, six women and seven men. All were cloaked in blood red cloth with a strange Haitaian symbol embroidered on the back in gold. They recognized that it was from the Old Tongue, an ancient word meaning 'Abbey.'

Along with these thirteen, there were three black bird Spirit Animals, four demon fox Spirit Animals, four giant, dark lizard Spirit Animals, a large bear Spirit Animal, and the large serpent.

All of the other Elementals and their Spirit Animals seemed to pale in comparison to the man wielding the serpent Spirit Animal and the woman wielding the bear Spirit Animal. Kari figured that those two must be the leaders. She watched as the two stepped slightly in front of the group. They lifted their hands and pulled their hoods fully back. Hiroki and Hikari's eyes widened slightly as they stared at the two. They didn't _look _like they could be evil.

The man had dark brown eyes and blackish hair. He had a smooth oval face and defined features. Had it not been for the ferocious look in his eyes, he would have seemed like a kind gentleman. The woman next to him had long red hair and dark green eyes. She had a round face with delicate features. Just as with the man, her hardened eyes were the only indication that she was anything but gentle and kindly.

"You've done well to survive so long on Hiata, young Elemental Guardians," the man said in a booming voice. "You have more than proven yourselves in today's battle and it would be a pity to finish you off now. That is why we of the Abbey shall let you live, for the time being. But the next time we meet, you will have no such mercy."

With this, the man raised his hand slightly, causing an immense cloud of smoke to fill the area. Hikari and Hiroki covered their mouths and fought to keep their stinging eyes open. However, they could see nothing down below.

""Fury, clear the smoke,"" Hiroki ordered quickly.

Fury obediently opened his wings and flapped, sending the smoke to the south. When the air was cleared, the four were surprised to see that, save for the dead bodies, they were alone. The other Elementals had fled. But, why? It made no sense. The Elementals of the Abbey, as they had called themselves, had obviously had the upper hand seeing as how the four in the sky were exhausted while they hadn't even fought for a single minute. Why would they stop and leave?

Sighing and knowing that going crazy pondering the answer wasn't going to help anything, they decided to head back to Pomarius, Kari riding Whisper because of her injury. They kept their eyes averted from the battle field as they flew, wishing to unsee all that they had seen.

It took them only a few minutes to reach Pomarius, and they could see that it looked deserted. They were glad of it though, because it meant that EvenBreeze and ScorchingFlame had listened to them. After landing and making sure that the Elementals of the Abbey hadn't set up an ambush, they reverted to their human forms. Kari looked back down to her side and gasped. Her wound was gone! But, how?

Hearing her gasp, Hiroki looked over and his eyes widened. He looked down at himself quickly and noticed that all of his bruises and cuts from the fight had disappeared. It was a shock, but not an unwelcome one.

"Come on," he said when he overcame his surprise. "We should fetch the others."

Nodding, Hikari followed, still slightly dumbfounded. The two birds stayed behind to nurse their still-existing wounds. The two Elementals quickly walked into one of the more rundown areas of Pomarius. This grove was overgrown with many weeds and unwanted plant-life, but that was exactly how it was supposed to look. In reality, it was the entrance to the underground tunnels.

These tunnels created a maze underneath Pomarius that would confuse even the brightest enemy. They were designed for the protection of the beings living in Pomarius if there was ever an attack. However, they hadn't been used in many years.

Hiroki pulled back a mat of tangled vines to reveal a trap door covered with dirt and grass. Opening the trap door, he started down the steps, fireball lighting the way. Hikari followed. Using an inner sense that they didn't quite understand, they found themselves being pulled in a certain direction. They knew that, somehow, that direction is where they would find their biological parents, and Miyo as well.

After a few minutes of careful navigating, they started to hear a buzzing sound, like people talking quietly. Rounding a last corner, they saw the group of Pomarius' inhabitants. Near the front were the two ex-Guardians and Miyo. All talk stopped when they entered as everyone froze. Miyo was the first to recover as she ran over and leaped into Hiroki's arms. She then reached over to give Kari a hug.

"Mommy! Daddy! You're okay!"

The two couldn't help but smile at her obvious joy. They looked up as EvenBreeze and ScorchingFlame came over. EvenBreeze gave Hikari a small hug while ScorchingFlame clapped a hand on Hiroki's back warmly.

"You appear to be unharmed," he stated somewhat lightly. "I'm assuming you won?"

Hiroki nodded. "Yeah, you could say that we won. But, we _were _injured. At least, until we became human again. What happened?"

EvenBreeze looked surprised. "Didn't we tell you?"

At their blank looks, she continued. "While you are still you in either form, your forms _themselves _are different. If one is injured, it doesn't mean that the other will be. And if you stay in your uninjured form for a few days straight, your injured form will heal in just a five or six days, no matter how severe the injury. Of course, you _could _go down into your Crystals and tend to your other form, to speed the healing."

Hiroki was still a bit confused, but he got the gist. "Well, that's a useful thing to know, I suppose. It'll especially be useful on our continuing journey."

"Speaking of that," Kari interjected softly. "We will need to leave immediately."

Both EvenBreeze and ScorchingFlame looked somewhat stricken. "Already?" they asked together.

Kari nodded. "I fear we may have already stayed here too long if the enemy was able to find us. What is to stop another from coming? Besides, we need to get back to Karina's and meet with the others. You understand, don't you?"

EvenBreeze sighed and nodded. "We understand. And it's not as if it's really good-bye, we'll see you again soon."

ScorchingFlame nodded his agreement. "However, when we _do _meet again, you must not call us ScorchingFlame and EvenBreeze, or Father and Mother, at least not in public. You must call us Edan and Aira. Those were our names before, and they will draw the least amount of attention to us. Understand?"

Hiroki nodded and shifted Miyo. "Well, I suppose we should go now," he said hesitantly after a few awkwardly silent seconds.

Hikari and the two ex-Guardians nodded. Turning, Hiroki began to walk back down the tunnel, Hikari following. The elder two followed as well. When they got above ground, they saw that Whisper and Fury were already waiting by the entrance. The four Guardians, past and present, faced each other. Suddenly, Aira and Edan stepped forward and pulled their respective 'children' into hugs. The two children returned them. Though brief, the hugs were filled with warmth and comfort. Reluctantly, the two younger pulled away.

"Until we meet again," Hikari gave the final farewell as the three travelers climbed onto the two birds.

"Wait!" a voice called out.

Both Hiroki and Hikari turned. They saw Harmony rushing towards them, blonde hair flying in the wind. They bristled slightly.

"My Guardians," Harmony started, slightly out of breath. "I could not let you leave without resolving the conflict between us. It was wrong of me to disagree with you when you first came here, and I now beg your forgiveness. I fear my pride has caused this action to be long overdue, but I still hope that you will accept." She fell silent, waiting for their judgement.

Hikari smiled softly. "We forgave you a long time ago, but I fear that it was _our_ pride that kept us from admitting it to you directly." She chuckled a little.

Harmony smiled as well. "Then I thank you and wish you good luck on your journey. We're all with you."

With nods of acknowledgment, Hikari and Hiroki ordered their Spirit Animals into the sky and flew out of Pomarius. They looked back only once, just in time to see the shield replaced. Then, they faced forward, anxious to face whatever enemies came next so that they could finish this destiny of thiers and go back to normal life. At least, they hoped it would be that easy.

/o-o/

Hikari stretched her arms over her head, sighing in relief when her back popped, relieving some tension. She had been riding Whisper all day and her muscles were a little stiff. She looked over and smiled as she saw Hiroki and Miyo playing just a few yards away. Miyo was laughing as she ran away from Hiroki, who was half-heartedly trying to catch her and laughing as well. She continued to watch them for a few seconds until, suddenly, she heard a noise from behind her. It sounded like a low rustling. Turning, she saw nothing in the trees.

She tried to shrug it off, but, for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't alone. Looking back over at the others, she noticed that they didn't seem like they had seen or heard anything. Not wanting to bother them, she started to walk slowly towards the edge of their camp, wanting to check it out for herself.

She saw nothing out of the ordinary within the first few feet of trees, but decided to check a little bit further. Just as she lost sight of the camp, another rustling noise came from her left. Curiously, she took a few cautious steps to where she thought the sound had come from. All of a sudden, she was faced with a large, imposing dark figure. It began to approach her menacingly. She opened her mouth to call for help, but no sound came out.

_Be not afraid_.

Kari jumped, startled. Was she hearing things, or had the figure spoken inside her head?

_What you hear is true, I am speaking to you Wind Elemental. Though you do not recognize me, I'm sure, _I _recognize you._

"Wh-who are you?" Kari asked, feeling a bit unnerved.

_I am the Portal of Death in my physical form. _

Kari took a shocked step back. "I don't understand...h-how is that possible?" she stammered.

_Anything's possible on Hiata, _was the somewhat amused reply. _I thought you would have learned that by now._

Kari nodded slightly, knowing that it was true. It seemed like _nothing _was impossible in this strange and crazy world. She returned her complete attention to the Portal of Death as its shadowy form approached her.

_Now, _he started reaching out a hand towards her. _It is time I collected payment for an outstanding debt of yours._

/o-o/

"Hikari? Hikari, where are you?" Hiroki called, frowning slightly.

He had seen Hikari walk off not too long ago, but hadn't really thought anything of it. He figured that she was just taking a bathroom break or something. However, that had been nearly an hour ago, and there had been no sign of her. Not wanting to worry Miyo, he had left the young girl playing with Fury using the excuse that he needed to get a drink from a nearby stream.

He frowned more deeply as he went farther into the woods. Hikari shouldn't have gone _this _far, they all knew that they had to stick together.

"Hikari?" he called yet again.

"Hiroki?" came a quiet reply.

Hiroki let his face break into a wide grin of relief as he heard Hikari's voice. However, there was something wrong, he voice sounded so...so weak. But, she had been fine just an hour ago.

Walking towards where her voice had come from, he found her just a few yards away. She didn't look too good. She had dark circles under her eyes and seemed a bit shaky. He rushed over and wrapped an arm around her waist to help her walk.

"What happened Hikari?" he asked, concerned.

Hikari shrugged, obviously using a good deal of energy in that simple movement. "I'm not sure," she lied, "I just started feeling a bit under-the-weather a while ago."

Hiroki's frown returned again. "Well, we'll head back to camp and you can rest as long as you need to Hika."

"Hika?" Kari asked, eyebrow raised.

Hiroki looked a bit flustered. "I-I..uh..I meant Hikari."

Kari smiled. "It's alright. You can call me Hika, if I can call you Hiro."

Hiroki blinked. "Umm...okay."

Kari's smile stayed in place, though she was clearly exhausted. "Come on _Hiro, _let's get back to camp before the others worry."

Nodding, Hiroki began to help her walk back towards the others. As they walked, Kari looked back from where she had come and then looked down towards her hand, dried blood in the palm. She was not looking forward to doing _that _again in six months but, if it kept her alive, she wouldn't protest. She looked to Hiroki and silently hoped that he would have an easier time of it than she had. She couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt. After all, he was her friend, and maybe...something more.

/o-o/

It took Hikari's human body just under a week to recover enough to travel again. She had played it off as the flu, and none had questioned her. She did get stir-crazy near the end, and would have given a great deal if she only had enough energy to maintain her true form. That way, she would have been able to move much sooner. However, as she did not have enough energy, she had to simply wait it out.

On the morning of the sixth day, she was ecstatic to find that she could stand up and walk with little dizziness. She quickly walked over to Hiroki and shook him awake.

"Come on Hiro, get up! We have a lot of ground to cover today if we want to get back to Karina's on schedule."

Hiroki groaned and rolled over. "It's too early," he muttered.

"Oh, don't be such a big baby," Kari chided playfully. "The sun's already up, it's not as if I'm asking you to leave before dawn. Now, get up or I'll send Miyo over to wake you up."

Hiroki sighed exasperatedly and opened his eyes. Sitting up, he mock-glared at Hikari.

"You are evil, y'know that?" he mumbled as he walked over to Fury to wake up the bird.

"Yeah, but you know you love me anyway," she replied cheekily.

Hiroki inwardly nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said so that only he could hear.

"Did you say something?" Kari asked from behind him.

Hiroki turned, smiling. "I said that we'd might as well get a move on, if we're going to be up this early. Miyo can have her breakfast a little later in the day."

Kari nodded her agreement and continued to prepare to leave. She hoped that today wouldn't be too stressful, as she still didn't have all of her energy yet. Unknown to her, it was going to be quite a surprising day.

/o-o/

The first half of the day was fairly routine, with nothing out of the ordinary. They had spent that time simply flying over various fields and forests, heading south. When they came upon a large clearing in the middle of the forest, they decided to take a break and let Miyo eat and stretch her legs.

"What a peaceful place," Kari commented serenely once they landed. "So quiet and beautiful. It'd be nice if everyplace in Hiata was like this."

Beside her, Hiroki simply nodded. He looked around at the surrounding forest mistrustingly; he didn't trust anything now, not with their luck. Satisfied that the forest, and creatures within, posed no serious threat, he headed towards the small pond at the edge of the clearing. Kneeling down, he cupped his hands in the water before bringing them up to his mouth, taking a long drink.

His head shot up as he heard a high-pitched laugh. He looked back towards Miyo and Hikari, but already knew that it couldn't be them, their voices weren't this high-pitched, and they weren't close enough for him to hear them.

He stood up slowly, looking all around. Suddenly, he saw movement in a bush a few feet away from him. Moving cautiously, he pulled back the leaves of the bush, not sure what to expect. His eyes narrowed as he saw nothing there. Then, he noticed movement a few feet ahead. Taking a last glance back at the others, he continued into the forest after ordering Fury to stay with the girls.

The game of cat-and-mouse continued for several minutes, Hiroki following the trail of rustling and sharp laughs, but never being able to find their source. He once again saw movement in a bush near him. Moving quickly, he pulled the leaves aside, and jumped back when he found himself faced with a young girl.

This girl had brown hair in a bun with a crown of flowers. She had dazzling silver eyes and dark honey-colored skin. She had silver butterfly-type wings which moved idly behind her. She was wearing a light blue dress that flowed loosely and only went to her knees. She was barefoot, but had a silver ankle bracelet. She looked up at him with laughing eyes. Unexpectedly, she bowed her head deeply.

"Greetings, my Lord," she said in a high voice.

"Greetings, young one," Hiroki replied out of habit. "Tell me, who are you?"

"I am called Anai. I am a Faerie. My People and I live in this forest, my Lord of Fire."

Hiroki got a confused look on his face. "How is it that you know who I am? I have never been here before."

Anai giggled. "Oh, _everyone _knows you, and the other three Guardians as well. You are legends, and we would know you at a glance."

Hiroki stayed silent for a second, not sure how to reply to that. Then, he said, "I hope we have not disrupted anything by resting in the clearing."

"Oh no, my Lord," Anai replied with sincerity. "Actually, we are glad you came, because we are in need of your assistance. Help us, and we will happily grant you both warriors and magic-makers for your final battle. We are a strong People, so this will benefit both of us." She fell silent, hoping that she had convinced him.

Hiroki tilted his head. "What do you need help with?"

"A few days ago, our village was destroyed. We need help rebuilding it so that it will be able to withstand another attack.. As I said, if you help us, you will receive warriors and warlocks, and we will tell you a secret of Hiata as well that you may need to know in order to win the final battle."

Hiroki nodded. "We will help you and your People. Wait here, and I will fetch my fellow Guardian. Then, we will see what we can do about your plight."

Anai nodded and Hiroki quickly made his way back to camp. Once there, he pulled Hikari to the side and repeated what Anai had said. Of course, Hikari agreed to help as well. The two swiftly returned to where Hiroki had left Anai, leaving Miyo with Fury and Whisper. When they got there, the girl was idly weaving some flowers together. She saw them and smiled.

"I am pleased to meet you my Lady of Wind," she said, bowing to Hikari.

"And I you, Anai," Hikari replied graciously. "Now, where is your village?"

"This way," Anai said, flapping her wings rapidly and starting to fly ahead.

The two Guardians followed, taking in their surroundings the whole way so that they could easily find their way back if they needed to. It took them only a few minutes to reach the Faerie's village, or, what was left of it anyway. There was scorched rubble all around the area, and the plants around were burned as well. The two could see that rebuilding had already begun from the few new buildings that were up, but it was clear that over half of the village was still in need of replacement.

"What happened?" Kari asked, eyes wide.

"We were attacked by a group of trolls passing through. Usually they don't come down into the forest, but they did that day. Somehow, they found our village and set it on fire after terrorizing us. A few of us were killed, and others injured. We desperately need to rebuild before they come back. I know it's dangerous because we don't know where they are right now, but will you still help?" she looked at them with pleading eyes.

"Of course," Kari reassured. "Let's get to work."

/o-o/

For the next few days, Hiroki and Hikari spent all of their time at the village. Hikari used her wind power to move all of the rubble and separate what was salvageable. Hiroki used his fire power to carefully cut stone and other material. They both also helped a lot in the actual labor of putting the buildings together. Things seemed fairly peaceful during that time, no signs of trolls anywhere. However, just because they couldn't be seen didn't mean that they weren't there.

It was the third day, and Hiroki was helping to stabilize an outer wall that was being built around the village. With him were two of the adult male Faeries, Mako and Derin. They had just finished securing another log by using a type of mud-based cement, when they heard a crunching sound not too far away.

"What was that?" Hiroki asked, not sure what to think.

Derin shrugged, looking slightly unsettled. "I don't know, it doesn't sound like anything that lives in the forest normally." He traded glances with Mako, and Hiroki knew that they were both fearing that it was another troll.

"I'm gonna check it out," Hiroki stated, climbing up a temporary ladder in the wall. "One of you get Hikari just in case I need help." With that, he hopped down to the ground. He heard one of the Faeries fly off quickly on the other side of the wall.

Walking forward, he tried to locate the source of the crunching. It seemed to be coming from ahead of him and slightly to the right. Deciding on caution, he quietly transformed into his true form, and hovered above the dry leaves and vegetation on the ground. He flew forward quickly, darting between trees and bushes, trying to make no noise. If it _was _a troll that he was hearing, he wanted the element of surprise on his side. As he neared the crunching, he also heard some low mumbling. Flying behind a particularly large bush, he parted the leaves slightly. His eyes widened at what he saw. It was a whole _group _of trolls, not just one.

As he hovered behind the bush, he counted seven in total, all at least twice his size, some three times. They were ugly creatures, with pale yellow skin and dull black eyes. They wore only loose pants, and flab hung all over their bodies. They also had several warts and scars; not a pleasant sight. He saw the largest, presumably the leader, motioning in the direction of the village with a stubby arm that was brandishing a club. The other six nodded and grunted before turning and starting in that direction.

Still hidden in the bush, Hiroki bit his lip. The village couldn't withstand another attack just yet, the protective walls weren't finished yet. He couldn't let the trolls attack again, but he was outnumbered seven-to-one. He took a deep breath as he decided that he had no choice. He only hoped that Hikari would hear the sounds of battle and come to his aid.

Creating two fireballs, one in each palm, he darted out of the bush and threw them at the backs of the two largest trolls. They barely scorched the yellow skin; however, the attack _did _get their undivided attention. The entire group whirled around as one, growling at him and thumping their clubs on the ground in a primitive sort of challenge daring him to continue his attack. He felt his stomach knot up a little bit; thought they were dumb, they were incredibly powerful and one wrong move could get him killed.

Swallowing nervously at the ineffectiveness of his attacks, he prepared two larger ones and threw them into the group. One troll dodged, while the other was hit. It screeched in pain, but the fire had really only just burned him slightly. Now the trolls were livid. Not only had this...this _thing _trespassed on their newly-claimed land, but it had attacked them! It was inexcusable in their puny-minded opinion. The leader pulled his hand back and lobbed his club straight at Hiroki. Hiroki was able to dodge, and send a fireball after the weapon, causing it to catch fire. However, when he turned back around, six more clubs were heading for him.

His eyes widened and he desperately tried to dodge. He had almost made it through the barrage, dodging one club after another when suddenly, after narrowly escaping being hit, he heard a sickening crack as his right arm shattered. It had been hit by the sixth club, the _one _that he didn't have time to dodge.

He was forced to the ground as the pain intensified. Dropping to his knees, he cradled the injured limb. He knew he had to change back to his human form if he was to have any chance of survival. Not sure if he had time to complete the transformation or not, he rapidly started the change. He inwardly sighed in relief as it was completed and he was still alive. However, he froze inside again as he looked up and saw a troll directly above him, already bringing the two hundred pound club rocketing down at his head. He didn't have time to move, and he knew it.

He instinctively closed his eyes and hunched his shoulders as the club continued its descent. He tensed, waiting for the inevitable impact. It never came.

Just when the club should have cracked his skull into millions of pieces, he heard a loud crash and felt a gust of wind. Hikari!

Opening his eyes, he saw the troll standing above him still, empty-handed and dumbfounded. Looking to the left, Hiroki saw the troll's club embedded in a massive tree trunk. To his right was a very pissed off Hikari in all of her true form's glory. She fired another large windburst at the troll, forcing it back to the others, who were just staring stupidly at the new girl. Hikari paid them no mind as she landed by Hiroki and helped him up.

"You idiot," she scolded. "What were you _thinking?_ Why didn't you get me first?"

Hiroki looked down, somewhat peeved at being yelled at. "I couldn't just let them find the village or I would have. Give me _some _credit, Hika, I'm not completely stupid."

Kari sighed and smiled softly. "I'm sorry I snapped, but you worried me. Now, let's finish this fight and help protect the village, _then_ we'll chew each other out."

Hiroki smirked back. "Sounds like a plan. So, why don't we use that combo attack you came up with? I doubt they could dodge it, even if they had brains," he said, looking at the group that was still standing dumbly and staring into space.

Hikari nodded. "Alright, go ahead, but try not to strain yourself too much, for the time being, that's the only form you have."

Nodding his understanding, Hiroki planted his feet and closed his eyes, concentrating on making enough fireballs. Then he had them surround the trolls. The dumb creatures tried growling at them and swatting them with their hands, crying out in surprise when they were burned.

'_Stupid creatures,' _Hiroki thought, inwardly shaking his head. Pushing them out of his mind, he returned his concentration to the task at hand. He nearly had enough fireballs, and most were in position. A few seconds later, he had all that they would need...hopefully. Opening his eyes, he let the power explode from within them. Instantaneously, Hikari created a whirling gust of wind, causing the wall of fire around the creatures to gain immense height and power. They could hear the beasts within hissing at the intense heat.

Wanting to be as merciful as possible if she had to kill them, Hikari directed the wind so that the flames would cascade upon the ugly yellow trolls, engulfing them. More inhuman shrieks filled the air, then silence. A few seconds later, Hikari recalled her wind, and Hiroki recalled his fire, expecting to see ashy skeletons where the trolls had been. Shockingly, the trolls were still there...and _alive. _The two could see them moving a bit, growling in pain because of their badly scorched skin. The group struggled to their feet and looked at the children, debating whether or not to continue fighting. The two Elementals took up defensive stances.

Then, after a few moments of tense silence, the trolls turned and hobbled away quickly, not wanting to risk death. Hiroki and Hikari debated going after them, but figured that it wasn't necessary. Hikari landed again and checked Hiroki over.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He nodded and she took his right arm, intent on dragging him back to the village and yelling at him for his irresponsibleness. However, she stopped short as she heard his gasp of pain. Not releasing his arm, she turned and examined it closely.

"There doesn't seem to be any actual damage, but you must have done a number to your other form if you can feel the pain. You'll have to be very careful until your other form heals. Maybe we should put it in a sling."

Hiroki got an indignant look on his face as if to say, 'Not a chance, I'm too tough for that.'

Before Hikari could argue with how he was acting, they heard some cheers from behind them. Turning, they saw that the whole village of Faeries was there, having watched the fight from the concealment of bushes and trees. Anai stepped in front of the rest of them and waited patiently as Hiroki and Hikari walked over.

"Thank you so much," Anai said, bowing deeply when they reached her. "You have driven the trolls away from our homes. Without your help, we would have all perished. Now, we can flourish again. We're forever in your debt. And, as promised, the elders will send a group of our best fighters and spell-casters when you need them. We may not be able to do much against the tough skin of trolls, but we can defeat nearly any other kind of being. They have also given me permission to tell you a secret that few know, one that should help you."

Kari and Hiroki nodded, signaling her to continue.

"The secret is that Hiata is not so much a planet as it is a living being. It lives, has thoughts and emotions, though they are not always apparent. And, every once in a while, the world will be represented by actual beings. These two beings are called Keys. They hold ultimate power as they are the essence of Hiata itself. These Keys are unaware of what they are, and do not know how to use their powers on command. That makes them the perfect tool. If you have the Keys, and have their trust, you can train them how you wish them to be trained. That is why everyone goes after them when they exist. I can tell you now that they _do _exist at this time. Some know who they are, but most do not. If you can find these Keys, and get them on your side, you will win the battle easily."

"Can you tell us who these Keys are, do you know?" Hiroki asked, anxiously. If there was a guaranteed way to win the war, he wanted to know everything about it.

Anai hesitated. "The elders know, but they have not told me. All I can say to you about that, is that they are much closer than you think." she stopped and tilted her head, as if listening to something that no one else could hear. "I must go now," she said. "I wish you good luck on finishing your destiny, and pray that we will meet again one day. And do not fret, you shall have our help when you need it. Good-bye my Guardians!" she called as she turned and flew away, disappearing into the trees.

Hiroki and Hikari glanced at each other before starting back towards the camp.

"Well, it looks like we've got another wild-goose chase on our hands," Hiroki stated, sighing.

Hikari smiled slightly. "Yeah, but we won't be alone, we'll have the others with us. Now, come on, let's get to Karina's." She grabbed his hand and started running back to camp, laughing slightly as they went.

Hiroki smiled from behind her. He loved her laugh, he only hoped that she would still be able to laugh after all the trials that they would have to endure in the future. It would be a pity to lose such a beautiful thing.

/o-o/

"Why did we let them live?" the woman asked.

"Because," the middle-aged man answered, "We will need them in the future."

"What if they discover our true identities? I do not think that they will take too kindly to being deceived by people they thought they could trust."

"Be calm, they will not find out. If they do, I'm sure that we can find a way to _persuade _them to continue to do our bidding."

"I hope you're right," the woman said, sighing deeply. "It could be the final end of us if you're not."

A/N: Like I said, not my best work, but the next chaps will be better and hopefully the added stuff made this chap not so bad.


	21. Good Prince Larin

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon

Takeru watched with sharp eyes as Tejuku came racing towards him, swords up. Behind the charging boy, Keitya ran towards them tool, spear gripped firmly. Waiting until Tejuku was only a few yards away, Takeru drew his swords as well. The two opposing boys met with a loud _'clang'_ as their swords hit hard. Next to them, the girls had a similar meeting. All around, the forces of the two sides clashed, howls of pain and rage everywhere.

Takeru gritted his teeth as he forced all outside distractions from his head and focused only on his fight with Tejuku. Both had planted their feet and were pushing against each other, both hoping that the other would give first. Simultaneously, the two gave a final push and jumped back. Tejuku growled and charged again, swinging wildly with his right sword. Takeru raised his left hand high and blocked, as he swung his right up towards Tejuku's gut. His sword was stopped with a jolt. He saw that Tejuku had crossed his other arm over to block the would-be fatal attack.

Jumping apart again, both boys grunted with frustration. They weren't supposed to be so evenly matched! If things kept going at this rate, they would die of exhaustion before they died by the other's hand. But, there was always the chance that one of them would make a mistake, so it might be worth continuing this fight.

After staring Tejuku down for a moment or two, Takeru instigated the next charge. He kept his swords by his sides in the beginning, hoping to have the advantage by not letting Tejuku know which side he would be attacking with. Right before he stepped into Tejuku's range, he raised his right sword and brought it down with tremendous force. He inwardly cursed as Tejuku stopped the attack cold.

Grunting, Tejuku pushed his twin back, or tried to anyway. It seemed like they were matched in skill, strength, and agility. Suddenly, a lightbulb lit up in his mind. Takeru may match him in all of that, but there was no way that he could match _his_ power, it was just too great for even the likes of the infamous Shadow Mage.

Smirking, Tejuku used a strategy that he had never used before, one that violated the rules of swordplay. But, if he won, what did it matter if he broke a rule or two? Sure that he could hold his position for the second he would need, he closed his eyes briefly and channeled his power through his swords. It traveled down Takeru's swords and hit his body. Tejuku smirked even more as the other cried out in pain and retreated. Opening his eyes, he saw Takeru panting a few feet away, trying to recover from the unexpected attack.

Takeru glared openly at Tejuku, hate showing. "If you want to play dirty, that's fine with me," he growled as he shot a mass of shadow energy at the other boy.

Tejuku chuckled maniacally as he jumped out of the way. It was time to reveal his new power. While in the air, he descended to a Life Force Crystal that his mistress had given to him after killing him. It was completely black. Going to one of the glowing orbs to harness his power, he transformed himself into his true form.

His red hair was now streaked with black, and he had a dark glint in his eyes to match. His wings were a leathery black and he had noticeable fangs protruding from his mouth. With blood-lust showing on his face, he dove towards the blonde-haired boy below, sure that he had the ultimate advantage. He created a mass of Hell's Fire in his palm and drew his hand back, ready to strike. Below, he saw Takeru just watching him. He got closer and closer to the boy; 10 feet...6...3...but suddenly...his target was gone.

Utterly confused, he whirled around, trying to see what could have happened. What he saw nearly knocked him off balance. The boy...the weak pathetic boy who he had the unfortunate luck of sharing blood with...had transformed as well. He now looked just as powerful as Tejuku, if not more so.

Scowling, Tejuku launched himself back up into the air, intent on driving his sword right through Takeru. However, his plan was thwarted when Takeru dodged with demonic speed and charged Tejuku from behind. That time, Tejuku dodged the attack.

Both boys hovered a few yards apart, breathing heavily. It appeared that this was going to take much longer than either had anticipated.

/o-o/

Down on the ground, Katya was engaged in a battle with Keitya. They too were matching each other blow for blow. Swing, parry, dodge, swing, parry dodge...it seemed like an endless cycle.

As Katya looked at the dirty-blonde haired, brown eyed girl a few yards away, she noticed that the girl was very similar looking to her, save for the color difference. It was very perplexing.

"Just...who...are...you?" she asked between exhausted pants.

Keitya was panting as well, but steadied her breathing enough to answer. "I am Keitya the Devil's Sun Mage, not that it's any of your business. I was sent here solely to destroy the Light Mage, that's all that should concern you."

"Why do you want to destroy me so badly?"

"It's not that _I _want to destroy you, it's that my mistress wants you destroyed. And what mistress wants, mistress gets." With that as the only warning, Keitya lunged forward again thrusting her spearing in front of her as she ran.

Katya automatically dodged. As she did, she caught a glimpse of what was happening around her. All of the wolves, lionesses, coyotes, cheetahs, and spiders were locked in battle. It seemed like the wolves were only fighting the coyotes and the lionesses were only fighting the cheetahs. That left the twenty spiders, Denzo, and Siara to deal with the rest of the army. They seemed to be winning, though. However, she couldn't see any sign of Takeru. It worried her.

She was drawn out of her thoughts as Keitya attacked again, hoping to catch her off guard. Deciding that she needed to end this fight quickly and find her lover, she leapt into the air and transformed to her true form. Looking down at Keitya, she was surprised to find the girl smirking.

"That's a nice trick, mind if I try?" she asked, sneering tone in her voice.

Leaping into the air as well, she was engulfed in a bright light as she transformed. She now had rough, leathery white wings and large fangs. Her blonde hair had become streaked with pure white. Still smirking, she raised her hand and pointed it towards Katya. Her hand glowed briefly before a stream of yellow-white, wild light came straight for the Light Mage. Instinctively, Katya created a light shield to block the attack. It worked, but just barely.

Keitya laughed cruelly. "It would appear that we are equal on this playing field too. Ah well, it will just make it that much more rewarding when I crush you!"

Katya dodged the both the oncoming light attack as well as the spear. She whirled around in the sky to counter-attack, but something caught her eye. There was another battle happening in the sky just one hundred or so yards away. As the two figures clashed, sprung away, and clashed again, she recognized one of them. Takeru!

Her joy at finding him pretty much unharmed was cut short by a blast of light to her mid-region. She fell backwards in the sky, but was able to catch herself before she hit the ground. She inwardly cursed at herself for being distracted. Luckily, her subconscious must have been paying attention at least, because her body had automatically defended itself and there was only a slight burn mark on her abdomen.

"I'd worry less about your lover and more about yourself if I were you," Keitya growled, diving towards the girl.

This time, however, Katya was ready. She not only blocked Keitya's attack, but counteracted immediately, darting behind the other and aiming a ball of her own light at her back. Keitya tried to get out of the way, but hissed in pain as she wasn't quick enough and the attack grazed her side.

"Bitch," she scowled, rubbing her wounded side. Suddenly, she looked down and got a very shocked look on her face.

Katya looked down as well and saw what had shocked her. Most of the ground troops had been completely obliterated. All that remained fighting were the four packs of Shadow Beasts. The two vampires and their spiders were off to the side, recovering. They had done their part and were not able to do anything more. Feeling very confident, Katya looked up to meet Keitya's eyes. The girl seemed to be in a state of shock.

'_I don't believe it, how could this happen? This army has defeated many others, seizing control of great tracts of land, yet this small group has wiped them out. And this girl...this stupid little girl...can match this power of mine that only the four Masters and Tejuku can stand a chance against. Just what _are _these people?'_

Looking up, she saw Katya staring at her with a smug look. She scowled back. _'It really doesn't matter I suppose, I'll destroy them whatever they are!'_

With burning fury, she launched herself blindly towards the girl. Katya had been expecting an attack, but not one with this rage or speed. Keitya was in striking range within just a second or two. Katya braced herself for impact when, suddenly, a bolt of lightening flashed through the air right between the two girls, forcing Keitya to veer off course. On the other side of the sky, the same thing had happened between Takeru and Tejuku. All four children looked around, searching for the source of the strange power surge. However, only Takeru and Katya seemed confused, Tejuku and Keitya seemed to know exactly what they were looking for.

A few seconds later, they found it. It was a distant figure in the sky, coming closer quickly. Tejuku and Keitya immediately bowed their heads deeply, shocking the other two with their uncharacteristic placidity. All of a sudden, Takeru realized with a start that the figure was the same woman who had killed him before right after his fight with Tejuku. He bristled and started to gather his remaining energy.

The cloaked woman barely glanced at him from atop her dragon. She addressed the two non-Guardians first.

"Go back now," she ordered, ice in her voice.

Tejuku and Keitya's heads shot up.

"What?" Tejuku asked incredulously.

"Look around you," the woman snapped. "Your army is gone, you've already lost. Go now, I will deal with your punishment later."

Both Tejuku and Keitya flinched, nodded, and made to leave, completely forgetting about their opponents. Takeru frowned; this woman's voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. As he saw Tejuku start to move away, he decided to worry about placing the voice later, and take action now. He couldn't let Tejuku simply escape, not again.

"Not this time," he scowled, charging his twin from behind.

Tejuku whirled, raising his sword automatically, however, it wasn't necessary as the woman sent another strong bolt of lightening between them, allowing Tejuku to successfully escape. Growling, Takeru turned on the lady; it had been her fault that Tejuku had been able to get away each time, she needed to pay! He shot an enormous ball of shadow energy at her. She made to defend, but wasn't quite fast enough. His shot hit her right hand, slicing the back of it open.

The woman glared at him. "That was a mistake young one," she said in a dangerously calm voice. "I have already killed you once, and now I shall do it again." With that, she created several large bolts, all heading for him.

Before he had time to react and create a shield, he felt something, or some_one, _ram into his side, pushing him out of the way. He looked down to see Katya holding him around the waist, breathing heavily. The woman was merely watching them with detached interest now, not seeing any threat.

"Don't do that," Katya scolded, "You're going to get yourself killed! She's too powerful, we have to run."

"I can't," Takeru protested, trying to struggle away, intent on destroying the woman's arrogant stance.

"You will," Katya ordered. "If you love me at all, you will."

Takeru looked down, surprised. They had coupled many nights since that first time, but never spoke of love during the day, it went against their unspoken code.

"She won't just let us leave," he pointed out quietly, placing an arm around her shoulders.

She didn't release his waist. "We must try, _please,_" she practically begged. "If we die fighting her today, then we won't be able to get strong enough to beat her. And if we die, our whole journey will have been for nothing and Hiata will be doomed."

Takeru considered her logic and nodded slightly, still not liking it. However, he quickly cooked up a scheme for escape in his mind. Hunching over a bit, he whispered into her ear.

"Have you lionesses cluster with Denzo, Siara, and the spiders, I will tell my wolves to do the same. As soon as you do that, create a bright wall of light to blind her. After that, just hold on and leave it to me."

She looked up at him strangely, but nodding trustingly. Closing her eyes, she spoke to her lionesses quickly, still holding Takeru. Gathering her strength, she created a bright, prolonged flash of light behind her. Takeru watched with satisfaction as the woman screeched and had to hide her eyes from the burning illumination.

Moving quickly, he dove towards the ground, pulling Katya with him. He landed in the middle of the large group. As soon as he touched the earth, he released Katya and placed both of his hands on the ground, closed his eyes, and created a dome of shadow. His plan was to create a camouflage so that they would be able to fool her and have time to get away. He only hoped that the woman wouldn't be able to sense it. As insurance that the dome would not stand out, he had coated all of the visible ground with a layer of shadow. Surprisingly, it was not draining as much energy as he thought it would.

Looking up through the dome, he saw that the woman was looking around, moving angrily. He couldn't see her face, but he imagined that she was probably scowling. After a few moments of searching, she ordered her dragon to turn and leave. She would deal with these menaces another day.

When he was sure that she was gone, Takeru recalled all of his Shadow magic. He felt a good deal of his waning energy return, but some was still gone. Looking back, he saw that the others were looking at him in a very surprised way.

"Well," Denzo stated, speaking first. "That's quite a trick. I didn't know you could do something that extensive."

"That makes two of us," he muttered before turning his full attention to them and raising his voice. "I suppose all that matters is that I could, and we are safe for now. We thank you two for your hospitality, and we would hate to impose on you any longer than necessary. We shall fetch Akio and sleep for a few hours before leaving, if that is alright with you."

Siara nodded. "Of course. You may stay as long as you like, though," she offered.

"We appreciate the offer," Katya replied, catching Takeru's drift. "But it is quite imperative that we reach Karina's as soon as possible."

Denzo smiled in understanding. "Well then, let's get going. You've got a lot to do before you leave, I imagine."

With that, the large group began to move back towards the town. Katya smiled slightly as they did. While they may not have had a definite victory on the battlefield, they had won something much more important; new allies...new friends in this hostile world. Hopefully, their friendship would prove to be enough in the long run.

/o-o/

"Papa, are we there yet?" Akio asked, yawning.

Takeru smiled down at him slightly. They had traveled with no trouble for the last few weeks, and were positive that they were very close to Karina's. He was about to answer Akio and say that they were close, when Frenzy's voice cut through his mind.

/Takeru, I can see the forest where Karina's house is located now. At this pace, we should be there within twenty minutes./

/Thank you Frenzy/ Takeru replied, grateful for the news.

Looking over at Katya, he could tell that she had received the same message from one of her lionesses. His happy thoughts were interrupted by Akio tugging on his arm.

"Don't ignore me Papa," the young boy chided in an indignant voice.

Takeru chuckled slightly. "I'm sorry kid, I didn't realize I was ignoring you. Actually, I was talking to Frenzy and she said that we'll be at Karina's very soon."

"How soon?"

"She said that we'll be there in about twenty minutes. Is that fast enough for you?" he lightly teased.

Akio stuck out his tongue and Takeru laughed.

"I can't wait to get there," Akio started. "I wanna meet your friends that you told me about and I wanna see their big bird and I wanna play with it and-"

Takeru and Katya exchanged amused looks as Akio rambled on and on about the things that he couldn't wait to see or do. For a little kid, he was very ambitious. Suddenly, about ten minutes after they entered a forest, Akio gasped and stopped mid-ramble.

"Look Papa, Mama! Look! It's a house!"

The two looked ahead immediately and saw that they had finally come within sight of Karina's house. Takeru looked upon this moment with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was ecstatic to be much closer to seeing Kari and Hiroki again, and to be closer to finishing this 'destiny,' but on the other hand, he wasn't looking forward to seeing Karina again.

As the wolves and lionesses got closer to the residence, Takeru and Katya noticed a large white bird and a large red/orange bird resting in the clearing. The two animals looked at the group with little interest, but Takeru was happy to see them because they meant that Kari and Hiroki were here already.

As soon as the three dismounted the Shadow Beasts, they heard excited gasping from behind them. Turning, Takeru barely had time to register a figure rushing towards him before he was crushed in a hug. The same was true of Katya.

"Oh TK, I missed you so much!" Kari exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"Yeah, I missed you too Kari," he replied. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Just since this morning, I guess we both timed our returns fairly well, huh?" she said, smiling.

TK smiled back. Suddenly, a hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Takeru, my man, what's up?"

Still smiling, Takeru turned around and found himself facing Hiroki.

"Not much, what's up with you?"

Hiroki shrugged. "Same ol', same ol'."

"So, where's Karina?" Katya asked from behind Hiroki.

"She left a few hours ago," Kari replied. "Didn't say where she was going, she just left the five of us alone."

Suddenly, she remembered Miyo. About that same time, Katya and Takeru remembered Akio. Looking around, they found the pair staring at each other, mouths open, and there was no question why that was.

"Mama!" "Mommy!"

"That kid looks like me!" they exclaimed at the same time.

They weren't kidding, all four older children noted. The two looked _identical, _even more so than Takeru and Tejuku, because the younger children even had the same coloring. It was more that slightly odd.

"Where did you find that boy?" Hiroki asked.

"His name's Akio, we saved him from a crazy man in a bar several months back. Where'd you find that girl?" Katya replied.

"She's Miyo, and we saved her from some Jackal beasts several months back too," Kari answered.

They didn't have any time to further ponder this bizarre situation because, at that time, Karina stepped from the shadows.

"Guardians, you have finally all returned," she said in a very cheery voice. "It is so good to see you again. Why don't you come inside and tell me all about your adventures? I'm sure there is much worth hearing."

For some reason, Hiroki, Kari, and Katya all looked towards Takeru, waiting for his answer. Karina looked at him too, but not out of curiosity, she seemed to be saying 'I told you so,' with her eyes. Takeru sighed, and grudgingly nodded. It had been bad enough when Karina had simply been a bitch, now she had to be right too. Shaking his head, he stepped inside with the others, wanting to get this mandatory time with Karina over with as soon as possible.

/o-o/

As soon as possible, however, turned out to be five hours later. It had taken each group two and a half hours to tell their story with enough detail that it satisfied the Fate Mage; of course, they did leave out some details that they wanted to tell each other before they told Karina, but the woman didn't seem to catch on to their game. All six travelers were weary the entire time, but Karina wouldn't let up on the questions. In order to not pass out, each had positioned themselves in a certain place reflecting their powers.

Hiroki, of course, sat right next to the fire. Kari sat perched on an open windowsill, holding a sleeping Miyo. Katya sat in the brightest part of the lamplight, and Takeru sat in the darkest part of the room, sleeping Akio on his lap. They were all trying to suck up as much energy as they could.

Finally, after the five excruciating hours, she told them that they could go rest.

"Just a minute Takeru, if you don't mind," she called sweetly as they filed out of the house to go sleep with their Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals as they were accustomed to doing.

Takeru sighed and handed Akio to Katya before turning and walking back near Karina.

"Yes?" he asked, trying not to show his irritation.

"Have a seat, dear."

Sighing again, he obeyed, not up to arguing with her.

"Have you thought about what we last spoke of?" she asked casually.

"Not really," he lied. He didn't want to admit that the thought of so much responsibility in the fate of an entire world sometimes haunted his sleep.

"Do you believe I'm wrong?"

"No," he answered, struggling to appear calm. "But, if I am truly the leader of the Guardians, it wouldn't do for me to worry over something so trivial, now would it?"

Karina's smile seemed somewhat strained. "No, it wouldn't," she agreed. After a few seconds pause, she continued, a real smile on her face this time. "You know, I believe that you will do more for us than I would have ever expected. Much more. But, why don't you get some sleep now? You look tired. We can talk again later."

Forcing himself to nod at the last comment, Takeru rose and began to turn towards the door, when something caught his eye.

"Karina, what happened to your hand?"

Karina's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she looked down at the appendage in question. It was her right hand that he was asking about; it had a bandage around it and blood could be seen seeping through the top. She shrugged as she answered in a sweet voice.

"I had a run in with a large predator of this forest. It scratched me before I could get away. Why?"

Takeru schooled his expression. "No reason. Good-night Karina."

"Good-night young Guardian," she replied as he left.

As soon as he was out of sight, her smile turned to a scowl. He suspected something, she knew it. Why else would he ask about her hand when he seemed to hate her?

"Is everything in place?" a man asked from behind her.

He was a young man, younger than any others that she worked with, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, the younger they were, the easier they were to fool and manipulate.

"Yes," she answered. "They will meet you tomorrow, you will take them to your court, and they will become your ultimate weapons."

She didn't bother to mention that these Guardians were strong willed and would not be easily swayed into helping a stranger. The man would have to find that out on his own. Not that it mattered if his plan worked or not, either way, Karina would have all that she needed for her own battle ahead.

/o-o/

Katya was the first to awake the next morning. At first, she was very confused, but then she remembered what had happened. They had finally made it back after nearly a year of traveling and fighting. Smiling, she looked over to Takeru. Her smile changed to a small frown. He had come out after talking to Karina and had been very quiet and solemn. When she asked what was wrong, he told her that it wasn't safe to talk about it presently, but she would discover it for herself if she looked at Karina very carefully.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Hiroki rise and come over to her. She jumped when he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Thinking about your lover, eh?" he asked teasingly.

Katya smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes, I was."

Hiroki's eyes bugged. "You mean, you two are really...y'know..._together _like that?"

Katya nodded. "We admitted it when we reached Vorago, but we accepted that we were not meant to love completely, so we try to make our love physical. I guess we left that part out of the story we told Karina, huh? So, what about you and Hikari? Are you two lovers yet?"

Hiroki blushed. "Not yet."

"But soon?" Katya prodded.

Hiroki flushed even more. "I don't know, I don't know if she feels the same," he said hurriedly.

Katya rolled her eyes. "Stupid boy. Of course she feels the same. She was watching you all last night, are you saying that you didn't notice?"

"Well...I..."

Before he could finish his incoherent stuttering, Akio came up and crawled into Katya's lap.

"Good-morning Mama," he automatically greeted.

"Good-morning Akio." She frowned as she saw that he looked somewhat sad. "What's wrong?"

"I feel something bad here, Miyo does too. I don't know what it is."

Katya frowned even more before switching into reassuring-mode. "I'm sure it's nothing, why don't you go play with Miyo now while I finish talking to Hiroki? I'll tell Papa about your bad feeling when he wakes up, okay?"

Akio nodded, looking satisfied with the answer, before running off. Katya turned back to Hiroki.

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, I remember. You were just about to take my advice and tell her."

"Was not," Hiroki protested.

"Well now you are." She sighed at his stubborn look. "At least _think _about it?"

Hiroki nodded before standing again. His eyes immediately narrowed in suspicion.

"What?" Katya asked, confused.

"Look," he said in an undertone. "Karina's talking to a strange man. I've never seen him before."

Katya twisted around to see what he was talking about. She frowned. "I've never seen him either. Do you think that he's causing Akio and Miyo's bad feeling?"

"Looks like we're about to find out," he muttered as Karina started to lead the man over to them. "Wake Takeru, I'm going to wake Hikari."

Katya nodded as he walked off. She looked over to where Takeru was sleeping, and was surprised to find him sitting up and awake. She crawled over and rested her head on his shoulder.

"What do you make of him?" she whispered.

"He's a normal human, but something about him doesn't seem right," was the reply.

Katya's frown deepened. "Akio said that he and Miyo have been having a bad feeling about something here, do you think it's him?"

"Could be, only one way to find out."

He stood and pulled Katya with him. A few yards away, the other two stood as well. Takeru walked forward to the middle of the clearing. Katya stood slightly behind him to his right, and the two Elementals stood slightly behind him to the left. Takeru inwardly sighed; they didn't have to make it so _obvious_ that he was the supposed leader.

He looked at the man with Karina suspiciously as they approached. He was young, mid-twenties probably, with sandy brown hair and matching eyes. He had a slim complexion, but a powerful stance. He was obviously someone of high rank, but who?

When the two groups were about a couple feet away, Karina and the man stopped.

"These are the Guardians my Lord," Karina said. "Children, this is the good Prince Larin."

All four Guardians stiffened at being called children, but they looked at the man before them with newfound interest. So, _this _was the man that they were supposed to secure Hiata for. Hopefully he was more worthy than he looked.

When Karina saw them just looking, she grew somewhat angry. "Don't just gawk," she rebuked. "Bow to your Prince."

The four looked over to her sharply, more bristled than before. Takeru sensed that Hiroki was about to do something rash, so he signaled him to stay still.

"No offense, but he's not _our _prince," he said cooly.

Karina scowled before turning apologetically to Prince Larin. "I apologize for their impudence, my Lord, but they were not brought up with the court. Their manners are little better than those of heathens."

"Our manners are just fine," Katya snapped. "But we will not recognize a prince that we do not know. Perhaps, should he prove himself worthy, he will gain our respect and loyalty. Until then, he is not our prince."

"Again, I am sorry my Lord," Karina apologized bowing.

"I understand," Larin said in a condescending tone. "Often, free spirits resent being told what to do. I'm sure they will come around soon enough."

HIroki glared at him, but Larin ignored him.

"I'm sure you're wondering what an important figure like me is doing here, right?" he asked as if he were speaking to small children.

"Don't patronize us," Takeru said in a warning tone, not liking the feeling he was getting from this man. "Just say what you will and be done with it."

Larin kept the smile on his face. "I have come to offer you a position in the Swords. You will serve me, and they will serve you. You cannot be defeated with such an army."

Hiroki snorted. "We serve no one. As you said, we are free spirits. Besides, we do not need your army to win, we have our own allies, and all the power we need."

"Perhaps that is so," he said, still in a condescending voice. "But, why don't you come take a look at what I'm offering you? Come stay at my court and see for yourself how much help we can give."

As he spoke, Takeru noted that Larin was only looking at him, as if the opinion of the others didn't matter. Takeru, however, knew that it mattered a lot. Turning his head, he locked eyes with Hikari and Hiroki. Both gave him slight nods. Locking eyes with Katya, he received another nod. He faced Larin again.

"Two weeks," he said. "We will give you two weeks to prove to us that you are worthy."

Larin smiled widely. "Excellent," he said, more to himself than any one else. "Most excellent. Now, why don't you gather what you want, we can leave immediately via transport spell. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed."

/o-o/

Two hours later, the large group was looking at a castle-type fort. It had a moat, a large stone outer wall, a drawbridge, and large towers. It looked every part the medieval castle.

It looks even grander on the inside," Larin said somewhat cheerfully as he led them to the drawbridge. "However, your animals will have to remain outside."

"We will not go in unless two wolves and two lionesses can accompany us," Takeru stated, leaving no room for argument.

Larin paused before nodding hesitantly. He then continued forward.

As soon as he came within sight of the guards, excited rustling came from inside and the drawbridge was lowered. When they entered, they were immediately swamped by civilians living inside the castle. They were all bowing and reaching out, hoping to have the honor of touching the garments of one of these powerful figures; of course, it was against the law to touch their skin.

The four Guardians, plus Miyo and Akio, all shrunk together, slightly unnerved by all of this. Picking up on their discomfort, Rage and Tempest placed themselves on the right of the six, while Star and Mercy placed themselves on the left. They sent warning growls to anyone who tried to get too close. Takeru smiled slightly and patted Rage's shoulder.

It didn't take them long to get out of the fray of people and into the main hall of the castle. Larin stopped and motioned to a servant.

"Yes, my Lord?" she asked, bowing low.

"Take the Guardians to the rooms that have been prepared for them." He turned back to said Guardians. "While I would like to show you around, alas I have important things to take care of. Feel free to explore, and be assured that we will speak again very soon." With that, he turned and hurried off with an advisor.

"If you'll come this way, my Lords and Ladies," the servant said meekly, obviously afraid of them.

Hikari nodded and smiled. "Don't be afraid, we have no quarrel with you. You are quite safe. What is your name, by the way?"

The servant girl looked reassured by that as she led them up some stairs. "Nadia, my Lady. My Lord had two suites prepared, one for Mages and one for Elementals. Both are very spacious, and I hope they will be to your liking."

The four nodded in acknowledgment. They soon reached a long hallway. In this hallway were two sets of large oak doors facing each other. The servant opened one and quickly opened the other too.

"Here are your rooms, my Lords and Ladies. Do you require anything else?"

"No thank you Nadia, you may go back to your other duties now," Katya said graciously.

The servant girl nodded. "Thank you, my Lady. If you need something, ask anyone, and they will get it for you." With that, she bowed, turned, and left.

The six humans looked inside the rooms. Nadia hadn't been kidding when she said they were spacious. Each had a large four-poster bed, big enough to sleep all four of the Shadow Beasts comfortably, a large table, a fireplace, four large cushioned chairs, and an adjacent dressing room, and bathing room. They all had lavish decorations and large windows with embroidered drapes. Obviously, Larin was trying to buy their support.

"Why don't we go into one of the rooms and talk?" Hiroki suggested.

The other three nodded and went into the room on the right, dark colors symboling that it was the Mages' room. The four Shadow Beasts and two smaller children followed. The Guardians settled themselves in the large chairs and sat silently for a while. Then, Hiroki broke the silence.

"What do you think?" he asked, addressing all, but looking at Takeru. After all, who better to make sense of strange dark strangers than the Shadow Mage?

Takeru frowned. "I sense an unusual amount of fear from everyone here, including Larin himself. Not that I trust him anyway, not since he's working with Karina."

"What's wrong with Karina?" Hikari asked. "She's our ally, though she may not be the nicest person."

"She's not our ally, she's our enemy."

"What do you mean?" Hiroki asked.

Takeru looked to Katya and sighed. "I knew I didn't like her at first, but I had no real reason why. Now, she's given me one."

All three looked at him anxiously, waiting for him to continue. Only Katya seemed to have the slightest idea what he meant.

"Do you remember what we said about the lady on the dragon in the last battle we had?"

Hiroki nodded. "Yeah, she controls lightening as well as Tejuku and Keitya. Why?"

"Well, at the end of the battle, my Shadow Energy cut the back of her right hand. When we saw Karina again, I noticed that she had a bandage on _her_ right hand, blood seeping from the top. At first, I considered that it could be a coincidence, but then I sensed lingering traces of my Shadow Energy embedded in the wound. Without a doubt, I can say that it was Karina on that dragon attacking us."

Katya nodded, suspicions confirmed, while Hikari and Hiroki stared, wide-eyed.

"I don't believe it," Hikari said softly. Then, she turned to Hiroki. "Do you think she's one of _them?_"

"One of who?" Katya asked, confused.

Hikari sighed. "Well, in a battle that we fought, we were against these people in red cloaks. They said that they weren't with Shaukaka or Isan, but were with a group called the Abbey."

"The Abbey?" Takeru interrupted. "I read about them in my father's book."

"What did it say?" Katya asked.

"It said that they used to be a very religious group who were corrupted by power. They tried several times to overthrow the current ruler and take power themselves, but failed each time because they lacked the necessary strength. They were never caught, though, because they were good at simply 'disappearing.' However, when one of their rebellions in which they enlisted Shadowlore failed, the Shadowlore sold them out. They were captured and burned at the stake, one by one. It was not believed that any escaped, but they must have, if this group exists."

"Why would Larin work with them if they had a past reputation of trying to overthrow rulers?" Hiroki asked, perplexed.

"Maybe he doesn't know," Hikari suggested. "After all, Karina doesn't wear the cloak, and she seems to be the main person who works with him. There's really no way he _could_ know, if they didn't want him to."

"Yes, but this is all assuming that Karina is with the Abbey," Katya noted, unsettled. She didn't like all of this betrayal and deadly secrets.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. They saw Larin enter.

"I trust your accommodations are to your liking?" he asked.

They nodded slightly.

"Good. Now, you three can continue to talk, but I require the Shadow Mage's presence. The nobles of my Court would like to meet and talk with the leader of the Guardians."

"We have no secrets between us," Takeru stated, voice dangerously calm. "There is no reason that your Court cannot meet with us all."

"They would rather meet with a simple representative at first. Being the leader, we felt that you were the natural choice."

Takeru bristled, feeling insulted for his friends. He then felt Katya's hand on his shoulder, squeezing slightly.

"Go ahead Takeru. We will finish our discussion here and perhaps explore a bit. We can all talk when you return."

Looking at the other two and receiving affirmative nods, Takeru rose and walked towards the door. Rage followed.

"Your...beast will have to stay here," Larin stated, looking at the wolf with barely disguised hatred.

Takeru frowned. "Rage goes where I go. However, if he makes you and your court nervous, he can wait outside the room."

Larin looked at him with a mock-hurt look on his face. "Why do you feel you need protection in my castle? I'm beginning to get the feeling that you don't trust me."

"I don't," Takeru replied frankly. "Now, shall we get going?"

Larin gave a sharp nod, obviously offended. "As you wish."

They walked out of the room and down the long hallway. They reached another set of stairs and ascended two stories. They then walked down another hall until they reached a metal door.

"The Council is in here," Larin stated eyeing Rage.

Takeru nodded slightly. /Stay out here Rage. I doubt they'll try anything, but I'll call you if they do./

Rage mentally nodded and laid down dutifully by the door. Larin opened the door and motioned Takeru inside. The boy felt dwarfed by the room. It was large and circular, and had two levels of tables and benches. Filling these benches were close to a hundred nobles. All were staring at him as if he were some kind of side show.

"Valued members of the Royal Court, I present to you the Shadow Mage," Larin said while walking to his seat at the head of the room. He motioned for Takeru to stay put. "Shadow Mage, these are the nobles of my Court."

Takeru nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"They are all very eager to meet and please you," Larin continued, "They would like this to be an informal so that they can converse naturally with you, if you would allow."

Takeru nodded slightly again, locking eyes with each of the nobles, sending the message that he wasn't to be messed with. Larin gave a wave of his hand and instantaneously, nearly every person in the room rose and walked down to the center, where he was. They bowed deeply and the men reached out to shake his hand. Though he did not like all of the attention, he played along, shaking each one of the mens' hands, and kissing the hands of the ladies lightly.

They seemed to have endless questions for him; where was he from? what were the other Guardians like? what had he accomplished already? what did he plan to do now? He answered them as vaguely and as best as he could, not wanting to make decisions or commitments that he hadn't discussed with the others. He also received several dining invitations from nearly every noble family, and had to accept them all, as it would be rude to do otherwise.

This seemed to go on for hours for Takeru until Larin once again gestured with his hand and the nobles returned to their seats.

"I think that we've exhausted the Shadow Mage with enough questions today," Larin said. "But, tell me Shadow Mage, have you come any closer to deciding whether or not you will aid us."

"I have not had sufficient time to consider the matter," he replied.

"Well, then perhaps you will allow me to try to persuade you a bit?"

Takeru gave a slight nod, it wasn't as if he had much choice anyway.

Larin smiled. "As I'm sure you've heard before, war is like a game of chess. Every king needs good and loyal knights, bishops, and rooks to succeed. Pawns as well. With these lords and ladies, I have my bishops and rooks, and with my foot soldiers, I have my pawns. However, I am missing my knights, my masters of war. I believe that you and your fellow Guardians could fill that void, with advantages for both of us. After all, no chess piece could succeed without the others. In other words, you need us as much as we need you in order to have a victory. Do you understand?"

"You make a good argument," Takeru stated simply out of courteously. "But only time will tell what our decision will be."

"Of course," Larin granted, speaking only out of courteousness as well. "You may go now, Shadow Mage, feel free to take your time in making a final decision."

Takeru nodded once to him, and once to the nobles before walking out of the door and towards the stairs. He looked back at the door before he descended.

'_You're right about one thing Larin, war _is_ like a game of chess. However, I think you're mistaken about which of us is the pawn.'_


	22. Larin's cunning

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

"Thank you again, Guardians for allowing us the privilege of dining with you," the nobleman thanked graciously as the group pushed back their chairs and stood.

"The pleasure was all ours, good sir," Katya replied automatically as she inwardly sighed.

They had been at Prince Larin's castle for just over a week now, and it seemed that all of their free time was spent with one noble or another. They were never allowed to dine alone, and they could never find time for just each other, save for late at night. However, they were usually dead tired by that time and could barely find the strength just to get into bed.

As they filed out of the rooms of Nobleman and Noblewoman something or other, they were immensely delighted that it was their lasted engagement of the day. If they could make it back to their rooms without being seen and hassled, they would have the rest of the day to themselves.

Moving quietly and quickly, they actually succeeded for once. Katya immediately latched onto Takeru's arm and smiled mischievously at the other two.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but Takeru and I are going to go on to bed early tonight. Have a good sleep." With that, she drew Takeru into the room and closed the door quickly, not even letting the Shadow Beasts inside. However, the Beasts didn't seem hurt, as there were many other places they could go, such as the room housing Akio and Miyo.

Hikari simply rolled her eyes. "Those two."

"Yeah," Hiroki chuckled. "No kidding. So, why don't we get in our room too so that we're not seen?"

Hikari nodded and followed him. Once inside, they sat in two of the chairs, facing each other. After a few minutes of silence, Hikari spoke.

"Hiroki? What do you think of Takeru and Katya's...relationship?"

Hiroki shrugged. "I'm happy for them, for being able to find such happiness."

Hikari nodded, seeming somewhat troubled. "Yeah, me too. Umm...have you ever felt..._that _way about someone?"

Hiroki paused. "Yes, I have. What about you?"

Hikari nodded. "Do you mind if I ask...who? You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she added hurriedly.

Hiroki stayed silent for several moments, wondering what to say. Then, he thought back on Katya's words. Deciding that it was now or never, he took a deep breath.

"Actually, it's...you," he tensed, waiting for her reaction.

"M-me?" she stammered, feeling that it was too good to be true. "Do you-do you truly mean it?"

Hiroki nodded and she broke into a fierce grin. She jumped out of her chair and darted the short distance to his, throwing her arms around him.

"Oh, Hiroki," she said quietly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to say that."

Hiroki recovered from shock and returned her hug. "You mean...you feel the same?"

Hikari nodded and gave him a kiss. "For many months, at least."

Smiling, Hiroki rose, lifting her bridal style and turned towards the bed. "Since we are like Takeru and Katya, and can't afford to actually love, would you like to try their method?"

Hikari blushed as she held on around his neck but instantly nodded. She shivered in anticipation as he carried her over to the bed. She had a feeling that this was going to be a very delightful experience.

/o-o/

In the morning, Hikari and Hiroki woke to soft chuckles. Opening their eyes quickly, they saw that Takeru and Katya were by their bed, holding hands, nothing more. The two in the bed glared at them as they made sure that they had covered themselves securely.

"Well, I'd say it's about time you to finally admitted it," Katya teased. "We were starting to wonder if we'd have to lock you two in a small dark room for hours to get you to say anything."

Hiroki just continued to glare. "Why are you two in here anyway?"

Takeru's teasing smile turned to a small frown. "Larin wants to have a private breakfast with us, his current general, and the general's wife."

The two in the bed frowned as well. "We'll get cleaned up and be ready as soon as possible," Hikari said somberly.

Katya nodded. "We'll be in our room, just knock when you're done." The two then turned and left the room in a much more serious mood than they had been in just seconds before.

Hikari sighed and looked down at the bed sheets. "Come on Hiroki," she said softly, getting out of the bed and heading for the washing room. "Let's get this over with."

/o-o/

Just half-an-hour later the four of them stood outside of the prince's dining quarters, waiting for permission to enter, Miyo and Akio had been staying in a separate wing with the Shadow Beasts for most of the stay and weren't present. They looked up as the door opened and Nadia appeared. She bowed to them.

"My Lord will see you now."

"Thank you Nadia," they all said quietly as they passed.

Once inside, they found that this room was like most of the others, only larger. It had cathedral ceilings, large tapestries on the wall, a long table in the middle on top of a lavish rug, and several hand carved chairs around the table. Larin sat at the far head of the table, the general and his lady to his right. Four places had been set to his left. He nodded a greeting as they entered, not bothering to rise as was courtesy.

"Guardians, come sit," he said, motioning to the four seats.

They walked single file down the side of the table and sat, Takeru grudgingly taking the place right next to Larin.

"Guardians, may I introduce my current general, Lord Rason, and his wife Lady Rason. Lord and Lady Rason, these are the Guardians."

"A pleasure," Takeru greeted, trying to sound sincere.

Across from him, the two Rason's nodded, not looking very impressed.

"So, these are the children you want to give my control of the Swords over to?" Lord Rason asked Larin, pointedly ignoring the Guardians.

Larin nodded and Lord Rason looked over to the four Guardians.

"Are you sure that you children are up to the challenge?" he asked, keeping the scorn out of his voice, though it was clearly implied.

Takeru smiled pseudo-graciously, ready to get this man back for his implied insults. "And what challenge is that? Surely being in control of the Swords can't be all that difficult if a man such as yourself can manage."

The vein in Lord Rason's neck popped out noticeably. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked as food was brought in by servants.

Katya scooped up a forkful of eggs as she answered. "He simply means that if a non-magical being like you can manage it, there is no reason that we should not be able to. In fact, it should be easier for us."

"I'll have you know that there is a great amount of difficulty involved, and I'm not sure that you children are up to it," he replied, trying to stay civilized as Larin simply watched with interest.

"First of all," Hikari stated, "Stop calling us children, we are much more than that. Second of all, stop assuming that we're _going _to take control of your army, we've made no decision yet."

"But surely you must see that you need us to win," Rason protested.

Hiroki smirked. "No, _you _need _us_. We are perfectly capable of winning this fight on our own and, to be honest, your forces would most likely slow us down. After all, it is to be a magical being against magical being fight, and your soldiers are all regular humans. The only thing they would be good for would be holding down places that we have already conquered."

Rason shot up. "How _dare _you insult the prince's army! You should be hanged for your treason."

"Peace Rason," Takeru said diplomatically. "For one thing, we state only the truth, not insults, and for another, how can we be treasonous if we have not pledged our allegiance to your prince?"

Rason grumbled, looking ready to pounce over the table and strangle the blonde-haired boy, and his friends after that. Takeru and company simply watched with slight amusement. It wasn't in their nature to be rude, but in their opinions, these arrogant, ungrateful bastards deserved it, if not more.

"Sit Lord Rason," Larin ordered.

Rason immediately obeyed. Larin then turned to the four Guardians, frown on his face.

"I do not appreciate such rudeness at the dining table, save that for after the meal if you must be rude at all."

"When we need your rules, we'll be sure to ask for them," Hiroki shot back with a pleasant tone, though his words were anything but. Who did Larin think he was, ordering them around?

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Takeru falsely apologized. "We did not mean to be rude, as I told Rason, we were only speaking the truth. Would you rather that we lie?"

Larin frowned. "No, I wish you to speak the truth," he answered as was expected of a high-ranking official. "But, is this truly what you think of my army?"

Takeru tilted his head, considering. "Well, this is our truthful opinion, though we haven't seen them in action, I'll grant you. We could, perhaps, be swayed if you can show us that you have something more grand to offer than we imagine."

Larin smiled, and this time it was somewhat real. "How about a demonstration after breakfast? They train everyday, and I could always take you down to the practice arenas to observe."

Takeru nodded. "Very well," he answered after making sure that the others had no objections.

"Excellent!" Larin exclaimed, clapping his hands. Immediately, two servants appeared to clear the table. Pushing back his chair, Larin stood. "Come, let us go. I assure you, you will not be disappointed by what you see."

/o-o/

An hour later, the group was still surveying the army. As much as they hated to admit it, and they _really _hated to admit it, Larin's army _did_ have more to offer than they had previously thought. All of the men were very well trained in battle, and the army even had a few weak Mages and Elementals. Larin stopped as they came upon the archery range, the last stop on their tour.

"Well?" he asked with a smug look on his face, "what do you think now?"

Hiroki tilted his head before answering. "We admit that our opinion was unjustified, Larin, it seems that your army could be at least slightly useful in battle, if they were needed."

"Of course they're needed," Larin dismissed Hiroki's insinuation with a wave of his hand. "Now, I have kingly matters to attend to, feel free to look around a bit more, and do not forget about your luncheon with the Lord and Lady Yohira, they are very high-ranking officials in my court, and it would be a pity if you made a bad first impression."

"Of course," Hikari forced herself to reply. "We wouldn't want that."

Flashing them one last arrogant smile, Larin strode off with his usual company of advisors flocking at his every whim. The four Guardians rolled their eyes at his swelled ego. Takeru turned to the rest of them.

"What should we do about our decision?" he asked softly, not wanting to be overheard.

"As I said to Larin," Hiroki started, "they have the potential to be useful."

"Yes," Hikari agreed. "And we'll probably need all the help we can get."

"As long as Larin knows his place and ours, I don't see how it could hurt," Katya added.

"Are you really taken in that easily?" asked a voice from behind them.

The four whirled around, sighing in relief when they saw Meersa.

"Oh, it's you Meersa," Katya greeted. "We were afraid it might be an enemy."

"The only immediate enemy to you right now is your own naivete."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Takeru asked, curious, not indignant.

"Do you believe that Larin's word? Do you believe that his troops will aid you, and not turn tail and run?"

Takeru hesitated, unsure. Meersa continued.

"You see? You do not know. Why risk that in battle?"

Hikari pursed her lips. "I think I get what you're saying. You're trying to warn us not to trust Larin and not to make his army an essential part of our battle plan, right?"

"Perhaps," Meersa answered vaguely. "Or, perhaps I am trying to tell you that _any_ alliance with Larin is a bad idea."

Takeru looked at her suspiciously. "You know something about Larin that we don't, don't you?"

"Not about Larin himself, but I was told some things about his heritage," she drawled.

"By whom?"

"The Watcher, of course."

"Who's that?" Katya asked.

"The Watcher is a person who's been in Hiata for as long as Hiata has existed. He is immortal, here only to observe and make note. He are not _supposed _to get involved, but he often does."

"And what has this...Watcher told you about Larin's family?" Hiroki asked.

Meersa shrugged. "They are a shady bunch, always making false promises, taking advantage of less intelligent people. They want nothing but absolute power. It's not wise to get involved with them."

"Larin only _thinks _he's in control," Hikari interjected. "It's not as if we've fallen into his trap."

"Not yet," Meersa replied sharply before stepping back. "Though, it is _your _decision. Perhaps your plan could work. I only came here to caution you. That's all. And with that being said, I must go now. Good luck to you, and try not to do anything too stupid."

With a smirk, she created a rift in the air and disappeared.

"Man, sometimes I just want to strangle her," Hiroki ground out.

"Only sometimes?" Hikari chuckled.

Takeru smiled too before looking around one last time at the arena. "Let's not make any decision just yet, we should wait and think about it. For now, let's go back to our rooms and rest while we dread our meeting with the Yohira's."

The other three smiled at his tone and quickly agreed. There was no need to rush things, it could wait. Or, so they hoped.

/o-o/

By the end of the second week, the Guardians were exhausted from all of their social obligations. However, there was still one matter that they had to attend to; they had to have one final meal with Larin and his Court and announce their decision. For this occasion, Miyo, Akio, and the Shadow Beasts would be present as well. Two hours or so before sunset, the group of ten stood outside of the main dining hall, waiting to be allowed in. Apparently, this meal was going to be very extravagant, many courses long, along with entertainment and dancing; it was all one last attempt by Larin to buy their support.

"Papa, how much longer?" Akio whined.

Takeru shrugged, sharing Akio's agitation. "Hopefully soon."

As if on cue, the door opened and Nadia stepped forth. She bowed deeply.

"They are ready to receive you," she said quietly. "Please follow me."

Nodding silently, they obeyed. Walking in, they saw that the room had been arranged so that there were two long tables on either side of the room and one long table on a raised step on the far side. All of the chairs were facing the large open center of the room. In the left corner, a small orchestra sat, ready to play.

The group saw that Larin and his most high ranking officials were sitting at the raised table. There were six open seats to Larin's left, supposedly for them. On his right sat a young girl, no more than twenty. They found it quite odd that they had never seen her before. If they had, they would have remembered. She was a beautiful girl, and had been dressed to flaunt it. Larin had his hand over hers as he looked at the Guardians; she looked less than pleased.

Following Nadia silently as protocol dictated, they were led behind the raised table, and the six humans were seated. The four Shadow Beasts laid down behind their seats. Much to Takeru's dismay, he was once again seated right next to Larin. Then came Akio, Katya, Hikari, Miyo, and Hiroki. When they had been settled, Larin stood and raised his goblet of wine. Everyone else followed suit, save for Miyo and Akio.

"A toast," Larin declared. "To our honored guests, the Guardians. May they once again bring honor and dignity back to our fair world."

Lifting the cup to his lips, Larin took a generous drink. Next to him, the four Guardians sipped politely.

"Now," Larin continued, clapping his hands once, "Let the feast begin!"

With this simple command, a flood of servants came rushing into the room, bearing several kinds of food. At the same time, the music began. It was a lively beat, appropriate music for a feast. As the servants walked by, the four Guardians pointed out what they wanted and began to slowly eat the delicious food. Though they tried to ignore it, they could sense that every eye in the room, especially Larin's, kept focusing on them. It was very...uncomfortable.

They sighed with relief when all of the people had been served their first course and the acrobats came in, drawing their attention. They tried to focus on the show as well, but found they could not. They were too distracted by Larin's almost constant watch of them. And then there was the matter of the strange woman, who was she? Larin's pleasure slave, perhaps? They wouldn't put it past him. Though, they supposed that it wouldn't make much difference to them _who _she was, because they would have very little contact with anyone in Larin's court after tonight. Deciding to try to actually enjoy themselves a little, they focused back on the performers, finding themselves somewhat awed by the strange tricks that they were performing.

After about an hour, two more courses had been served, and the acrobats had departed. When the orchestra began playing another song, Larin and his lady rose. Larin turned to the Guardians.

"Perhaps you would honor us by joining in this dance?" he asked, though it was more of a demand. He was testing his control.

Takeru internally shrugged. Perhaps they could lead Larin on for a bit, just to make it all the more painfully clear later that nothing they did was because of him. Nodding to the prince, he rose and took Katya's hand. Hiroki and Hikari rose as well, along with most of the nobles in the room. It seemed that everyone wanted the honor of sharing the dance floor with not only their prince, but also their Guardians.

Moving down to the dance floor, the Guardians stood close together as they danced. Katya wrapped her arms around Takeru's neck and rested her head on his shoulder so that she could speak to him without anyone noticing.

"_**I'm getting an odd feeling from that girl with Larin, who do you think she could be?"**_

Takeru shrugged slightly before replying softly. **_"I don't know. However, it really makes no difference to us provided that she isn't a spy or a member of the Abbey. I doubt she is either of those, though, because I don't sense an abnormal amount of darkness in her."_**

"**_She may not be full of darkness," _**Hiroki whispered from beside them, **_"but she is full of fear."_**

"**_Fear of what?" _**Katya asked.

"_**Everything. This place, Larin, us..."**_

"**_Maybe this fear is good,"_** Hikari interjected. **_"If she is that afraid, then there is no way that she can be a threat to us."_**

Nodding in agreement, the four fell silent, painfully aware that people were watching them for every angle. They didn't want to take the chance that someone who somehow knew the Old Tongue would get close enough to hear. When the song ended, they returned to their seats, as did some of the other dancers, Larin and his lady included.

"I trust you are enjoying yourselves?" Larin asked, leaning towards Takeru as he gulped down another glass of wine.

Takeru, who was still sipping his first glass, nodded slightly. "It is enjoyable. However, don't you want to hear what we have to say on our decision?"

"Later, later" Larin replied, carelessly waving his hand as he looked out the high window. "Just wait until later, hmm?"

Eyes narrowed slightly, Takeru nodded, taking a drink of wine. He knew Larin was up to something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Internally sighing and shrugging, he decided that he'd find out later, and there was no reason to worry about it now. After all, what could Larin possibly have up his sleeve that was more powerful than the four of them, plus the Shadow Beasts?

'_Nothing,' _Takeru told himself, trying to be confident. _'Absolutely nothing.'_

/o-o/

The festivities continued for many hours, never seeming to wind down. Finally, after nearly five hours, Larin held up his hands for silence. Most of the nobles were drunk, but even they quieted down.

"Now, my friends, the reason for this banquet was to celebrate our guests' last day here and to hear their decision. So, let's hear what they have to say, and then we can get back to feasting." He turned to Takeru, about to give him the signal to speak, when a soldier came rushing into the room. "Explain yourself," Larin ordered as the soldier bowed deeply, though the prince didn't seem in the least bit surprised by the sudden intrusion.

"My Lord," the soldier gasped. "Invaders, from the north!"

Larin's eyebrow raised. "How many?"

"An entire army, sir."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Send the troops to meet them. We can defeat the hostile Northerners with no problem, can't we? After all, it's only one army."

"But sir-"

"Are you questioning me?" Larin asked in a dangerously low voice.

The soldier seemed to be fighting with himself, torn between obeying and doing what he felt was right. Like a truly loyal warrior, he chose the former. "Yes, my Lord," he said, quickly bowing and leaving.

As Larin sat back down and took yet another drink of wine, Hiroki looked at him, shocked.

"Are you just going to continue eating while your troops are in battle!" he exclaimed.

Larin seemed unfazed. "They can handle it."

"How do you know that if you're in here when they're out there?" Hikari joined in.

Larin shrugged. "We will win, and we can handle whatever casualties occur. We have more than enough growing peasant boys here to make up for nearly all that we could possibly lose."

Fire burned in Katya's eyes. "What kind of a leader are you?" she asked quietly. "You _feast _while your soldiers die for you. Don't you feel even the least bit guilty?"

Larin turned his gaze to her, glaring. "You will not question my ability or morality while you are in my court, do you understand me?" he growled out.

"Oh, we understand you perfectly," Takeru said somberly as he stood. "We understand that your troops need guidance right now that you either can not or will not provide. Therefore, we have no choice but to aid them. We will not stand by as innocents lose their lives because of a noble fool's ignorance and incapability."

That said, he quickly transformed to his true form, the other three following suit.

/Tempest, take Akio and Miyo to a safe part of the castle and then come outside to the battle./ he ordered as he walked towards a slightly open window.

The wolf nodded and swiftly picked up the younger two, taking them towards the Mages' room. Takeru pushed the window open the rest of the way and leapt out, spreading his wings. The other three followed. Looking around, it was quickly obvious where the battle was. As they headed towards the smoke and fire, Takeru looked back at them. They had not brought their weapons, so they would have to make due with their powers and whatever else they could utilize.

"Quickly, call your Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals," he said shortly, turning his attention back in front of him.

Nodding, the other three obeyed. As they flew over the battlefield, they could easily tell the two sides apart; Larin's men were wearing green, while the invaders were dressed in red. At least they wouldn't accidently kill someone that they were supposed to be helping, if nothing else. Turning his head slightly, Takeru gave another order, automatically falling into his role as leader.

"Split up and defeat who you can. If possible, try to just chase them off, we're not here to kill."

Giving another simultaneous nod, the group split up. Takeru headed to the east. Below him, his wolves ran, snarling and swiping at every invader with their claws. However, as Takeru had ordered, they tried to keep the enemy mostly alive. Takeru's eyes narrowed as he saw some of the invaders ganging up on a pair of Larin's men. Swooping down, he created a ball of Shadow Energy and shot it at the largest invader, supposedly the leader. Much to his surprise, the man not only blocked the attack, but counteracted with an Energy ball of his own. Takeru barely had time to swerve.

He couldn't believe that the invaders had _Mages_, he hadn't sensed anything. Were there Elementals as well? He was about to send out a mental radar to find out, when another Energy ball from the large invader came barreling towards him. Dodging, he shot back his own Shadow Energy. Yet again, the enemy dodged and counter-attacked. Takeru gritted his teeth in frustration and prepared his own counter-attack when one of Larin's men swiftly stuck a blade through the distracted invader.

"Thanks for the distraction, kid," one of the soldiers called as he ran his sword through two other invaders. "Knew we could count on you."

Takeru blinked. Had they..._planned _for that? Did they know that he would help them? It seemed unlikely, but...maybe they were just as cocky as Larin was. He wouldn't doubt it. Inwardly shrugging, he put it out of his mind and returned complete focus to the battle. He only hoped that the others were having as easy a time as he was.

/o-o/

To the north, Hikari was busy fighting a group of her own invaders. She had thought that they were normal humans, and had only found out that they were Elementals when they had returned her attack. Darting through the sky to avoid their attacks, she unleashed wave after wave of her own. Her theory was that their shields couldn't hold forever; she hoped that she was right.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed something else darting through the sky. Turning her head to get a closer look, she discovered that it was an arrow. Apparently, the invaders had noticed it too, but were unable to block because all of their energy was focused on her. The arrow embedded itself in one of the invader's neck, and several other arrows followed suit, killing all in the group of invaders.

Hikari watched, slightly confused, as Larin's men collected their arrows. If Larin's soldiers were able to take out the invaders, why had they not done so earlier, before the Guardians had come to help? The battle had probably been going on for a good ten minutes before the group had gotten their, and it had appeared that Larin's troops were helpless. Now, they seemed like unbeatable seasoned warriors. It didn't make any sense.

To the south and west, Hiroki and Katya were having the same experience. After diving in to help a supposedly 'helpless' group of Larin's soldiers, the soldiers had become self-sufficient, killing the invaders instantly. The soldiers then looked up to make sure that the Guardians had been watching. It almost seemed like they were putting on a _show _for the four Guardians.

Only a few minutes after the Guardians had gone to help, the battle was over. It was very odd; it seemed like the invaders stopped trying when Larin's soldiers took the offensive. It was..._too _easy. However, who were they to complain that they finally had an easy battle? They didn't want to seem ungrateful. Still troubled, they regrouped and headed back towards the castle. Larin was waiting to greet them. He had a smile on his face, but it seemed more smug than anything.

"I told you that we can handle any enemy that comes our way," he said arrogantly once the Guardians had landed.

"So it would seem," Takeru replied, frowning. Then, his frown became suspicious. "If that's true, then why do you need us?"

"To help keep order and to make every battle a sure win for us. And now that you've seen my troops in battle, I'm sure that you are eager to take control, no? You _were _just about to announce your decision before that untimely interruption, weren't you?"

Takeru's frown deepened and the other three frowned as well. That 'interruption' had actually been very well timed for Larin to help prove his point that his troops were worthy. And now that they had seen the soldiers in action, they couldn't very well say no. It seemed like a compromise was the only way to still have dignity when they left.

"How about a deal, Larin?" Takeru asked.

Larin raised an eyebrow. "Well, that depends. What is the deal?"

"We will take control of your troops, and consult with you before doing anything with them, but that _doesn't _mean that we serve you. We will continue to be 'free spirits,' as you called us."

Larin frowned, this obviously not being the response he had hoped for. However, if he accepted their deal, he would always have the opportunity to bring them completely under his service. Smiling falsely, he looked down at them.

"I suppose that would be sufficient, providing that you hold up your end of the deal and consult me before your every move."

"Not before our every move," Hiroki corrected, voice barely concealing his constant coldness towards Larin. "Just the moves that involve your troops."

"Of course," Larin forced out through his teeth. "So, tell me Guardians, what will you do now? Will you continue to grace us with your presence here?"

"No," Katya answered. "We have remained here too long, I fear. There are other things we must do, other things to prepare for, before the final battle. We will leave immediately. You shall not hear from us again until the final battle is nearly upon us, I think."

"Is that so?" Larin asked in response. He gritted his teeth, seriously agitated at having his absolute authority undermined. "Well then, I wish you the best of luck."

He held out his hand to Takeru, who hesitantly took it. Larin shook it tightly, almost too much so. Takeru returned the brutal handshake as Nadia appeared with Miyo and Akio. Nodding their final farewells, the group of travelers turned to leave, trying not to show their anxiousness. Larin simply flashed them one last predatory smile before turning to go back inside, unknown lady still at his side.

Once the whole entourage was gone, the entire group of forty eight let out a simultaneous relieved sigh. If they never saw Larin again, they would die fairly happy beings. However, they knew that they'd have to come into contact with him at least one last time. They all shuddered at that thought, sure that facing an entire army of Shaukaka's and Isan's was a more pleasurable experience.

Oh well, they sighed, it was unavoidable. Besides, they couldn't worry about it now, there were more important things that they had to do. Much more important things. Starting with discovering the whereabouts of this secret Abbey.


	23. Tejuku's honor

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

A/N: thanks for the reviews! I hope this chapter is up to par.

Takeru sighed slightly as he shifted in his sleep. It had been just less than a week since the group had left Larin's, but it had been a tiring week. No, not tiring physically, they hadn't encountered any enemies, but tiring mentally. They were all straining themselves to find answers to their questions about Karina, Larin, The Abbey, The Watcher, but were getting no closer to the solutions.

As Akio turned over and shivered slightly, Takeru instinctively pulled the boy closer. He then automatically opened his eyes to check on his other sleeping partner. His eyes widened when he saw that she was gone. Propping himself up on his elbow, he looked around, still not seeing her. However, all of the wolves and lionesses were here, so she probably hadn't gone far.

/Rage/ he asked, rousing the wolf that they were using as a pillow.

/What is it Takeru/ the wolf asked, yawning.

/Where did Katya go/

Rage perked up and looked around. /I don't know. I didn't feel her get up./

/Me neither/ Takeru mumbled, concerned. /I'm gonna go find her. Stay with Akio./

/Are you going alone/ Rage asked.

Takeru nodded as he gently eased Akio off of him and stood. /I'll be fine./

He sensed that Rage was less than satisfied. Sighing at the overprotectiveness, he patted the wolf's head.

/If I'm not back in thirty minutes, you can send one of the others to find me, alright/

Rage nodded and Takeru walked off. Sending out a mental radar to search for Katya, he found that she was about a mile to the east. There was also something else with her. It was dark, elusive. He couldn't get a fix on it; that worried him more than anything. Moving quickly and quietly, he headed towards the pair.

After a few minutes, he was only a few yards away, yet he couldn't see them yet. He ducked behind a tree and cautiously peeked around it, not sure that he wanted to be seen by whatever was with Katya. His eyes widened as he saw Katya kneeling down with a shadowy figure over her. He recognized its immense form immediately; the Portal of Death. He hadn't realized that her six month period had come.

He gently edged around the side of the tree, knowing that he could do nothing to help Katya, but wanting to be there when she came back to her body. He knew that she would probably be very scared, seeing as how she was the Light Mage and the Portal of Death was complete darkness. He only hoped that it wouldn't have too much effect on her.

As he leaned against the tree and watched carefully, the figure of the Portal of Death flickered a bit, and completely disappeared. Seconds later, it returned. The Portal of Death then removed his 'hand' from Katya's forehead and stepped back. Casting a quick shadowy glance at Takeru, dark shadows encompassed him and he disappeared for good. Katya's form stiffened before falling to the side, landing on the ground.

Takeru rose and walked over quickly, making sure that the Portal hadn't decided to take too much energy, as he almost had with him. Kneeling down, he placed his hands on either side of her head and searched for her Life Energy. He wasn't sure how he knew how to do that, he just did. He frowned as it took him a while to find it. When he finally did, he noted that it was very low; the Portal must have enjoyed his feast, he thought cynically.

Rolling Katya onto her back and holding her upper half in his arms, he gently shook her shoulder. She groaned quietly and opened her eyes. After a moment or two, she focused on the boy holding her.

"**_Are you alright?" _**Takeru asked her, using the soothing Old Tongue.

Katya nodded slightly, and Takeru could feel her trembling slightly. **_"I-I think so. Did-did you have to..."_**

"**_Deal with death?" _**he completed her thought. **_"Yes, it was that time when Apocalypse carried me back from the stream, when I told him to tell you that I was only sleeping."_**

"**_Why didn't you tell me the truth?" _**she asked quietly. Takeru could sense a hint of hurt in her tone.

"**_I knew you needed to experience it for yourself before you could understand_**," he answered, hoping that it satisfied her. Apparently, it did, for she stayed silent. He continued. **_"Go back to sleep now, I have something at the camp that will have you back to normal in no time."_**

Smiling gratefully, Katya closed her eyes and let her head rest against Takeru. He gently lifted her and started to walk back to camp. He frowned when he got closer; he could hear the other's moving around. Looking down at Katya, he realized that it was probably better if they didn't see her weak and helpless like this.

/Tempest/

/Yes/ the wolf answered immediately, as if she had been expecting it.

/Katya and I are just a little bit from the camp. We need that canteen that Akio had a month or so back. Do you remember/

/Yes, I will bring it now./

/Thank you/ Takeru replied as he placed Katya gently on the ground.

Just seconds later, Tempest appeared, canteen in her teeth. Takeru ruffled the fur on her neck as he took the canteen from her. Kneeling down again, he uncapped the canteen, lifted Katya's head, and held the mouth of the canteen to her lips. Carefully, he poured a little in. Almost immediately, she woke up again. Takeru helped her with another few drinks before recapping the canteen. It was still about a fourth of the way full.

Katya sat up, energy restored. "Where did you get that?" she asked, surprised.

Takeru shrugged. "_I _didn't get it, Akio did. He brought it to me after I had my encounter with the Portal of Death. He said it just appeared."

Katya frowned in confusion; that was certainly...odd. However, if there was no explanation, there was no explanation. Leaning over, she gave Takeru a quick kiss.

"Thank you for coming to find me," she said quietly. She really was quite grateful, that experience with the dark Portal of Death had been very frightening.

"Heh, no problem," Takeru replied, slightly flustered from the unexpected display of affection. "We should probably get back, though," he added a few seconds later.

Nodding, Katya stood. The group of three then walked back to camp. When they got there, Hikari and Hiroki turned to look at them.

"Where were you two?" Hikari asked.

Takeru shrugged. "We just wanted to go for a walk. But, we're back now, so where do we go from here?"

"Well," Hiroki started, "Fury found an old building a few miles from here, it might be worth checking out."

Katya nodded in agreement. "Maybe it has some clues about the Abbey."

"One way to find out," Hikari added, walking over towards the kneeling Whisper and placing Miyo on her back. "Let's go."

The others nodded and went to their own Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animal; Akio rode with Katya. It took them only a few minutes to reach the old building in question. It was made of crumbling stone and had moss growing on the walls. Chunks of stone were littered all around, also overgrown with moss and vines. The area around the building was very quiet, eerily so. There were no birds, or bugs, or _any _kind of wildlife at all. Odd, considering that the building was in a clearing right near a forest.

As the group began to slowly wander towards the building, Takeru got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn't right here, he just didn't know what was wrong. It felt dark, but in a shielded sort of way; like nobody wanted others to know what it was truly like. He internally shrugged, maybe he was being paranoid. There was probably no reason to tell the others just yet.

When they reached the entrance to the old, crumbling building, the humans decided that it would be better if the Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals stayed outside. There was no telling when or if the building would collapse completely with so much weight, especially since there were most likely lower levels. The animals didn't like the idea at all, but they knew that they had to obey their masters. Removing their weapons to lighten their loads, the Guardians turned back towards the door.

Satisfied that it was relatively safe, the six humans cautiously walked into the building, expecting to find it just as run down as the outside; they were not disappointed. Whole sections of the roof, walls, and floor were gone, leaving big gaping holes. Katya and Hikari pulled the two children closer, afraid to let them go, lest they should fall down one of the dark empty spaces.

The room that they were in was simply a large rectangular room. Worn out tapestries hung from the walls, and a tattered carpet was on the floor. Several decaying pieces of wooden furniture lined the walls. The several doors in the room were made of rotting wood too, and many were blocked with fallen pieces of ceiling.

As he looked around, Takeru tried to ignore the bad feeling in his gut. It was just an old, abandoned building, he told himself, he could sense no evil beings, so what cause was there for alarm? Suddenly, he felt a tug at his arm. Looking down, he saw Akio, smiling secretively. The younger boy beckoned for the elder to lean down. Takeru obliged.

"Guess what," Akio said, trying to hide his excitement.

"What?" Takeru replied, smiling slightly at the kid's enthusiasm.

"I found something."

"Really? What did you find?"

Akio's smile broadened and he tugged Takeru towards the far corner. "This way Papa."

Takeru followed the younger curiously, wondering what he could have possibly found in this run-down place. The corner where they were heading had a large slab of rock leaning against the wall, creating a lean-to of sorts. Akio pulled him around the far side of the slab of rock and into a small hollow. Once there, he pointed proudly in front of them.

"It's a door," he stated, "But it's not like the others."

Looking through the darkness, Takeru saw that the young boy was right, it _wasn't _like the other doors. Those doors had been very decomposed but this one, while made of wood also, was in perfect condition. There was barely any dust on it at all. There was a new lock on it as well.

"Good job Akio," Takeru praised, "Let's go tell the others."

Akio nodded, very happy that his Papa wanted to share his find with everyone.

"Hey, guys!" Takeru called as he stepped out into the main portion of the room again. "Come see what Akio found."

Curiously, the other four came over. Takeru showed them the door. They all looked at it, confused.

"What is a new door like that doing in this shabby building?" Hikari asked, voicing what they had all been wondering.

Hiroki frowned. "Let's see where it goes," he suggested.

He tried to open the door; it was locked. Frustrated, he called upon a ball of blue fire, the hottest there was. He held it up to the lock, effectively melting it. Smirking, he stepped back and pushed te door open. It stuck at first, but slowly relented, revealing a tunnel. Katya sent a ball of light a few feet into the tunnel. They could see that it looked as well kept as the door. The entire tunnel was made of finely cut stone, and there were torch holders every few feet.

"Should we go in?" Katya asked finally.

Takeru nodded. "_We _should, but these two should stay out here," he said, referring to Akio and Miyo.

"But Papa-" Akio began.

Hikari cut him off. "He's right. We don't know what's down there, it might be dangerous. Stay with the animals where we know it's safe."

Akio and Miyo were ready to protest again, but stopped when they saw the look on the elders' faces. They knew they didn't have a chance of winning, so they just stuck out their lower lips and pouted.

Katya smiled slightly. "We'll be back soon, just promise you'll stay here."

"We promise," they chorused grumpily.

Shaking their heads in amusement, the four Guardians turned back towards the tunnel and started to walk in, Takeru leading the way through the darkness. At first, it was simply flat, but then it gradually began to slope downwards, carrying them farther and farther beneath the surface. After a few minutes of that, it leveled off again. The whole time they were walking, the four stayed quiet, well aware of the potential danger that could be lurking around every corner. After all, just because Takeru didn't sense it, didn't mean it wasn't there.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, the passage seemed to end. Frowning, Katya called up a ball of light to examine the situation more closely. She walked towards the wall slowly, looking for any inscription or something that might indicate why it was there. The others stood back and let her work.

Placing a hand against the wall, Katya found that it was actually a real wall, not an illusion like she had hoped. But, there had to be some way to get around it, it didn't make sense for such a well kept tunnel to simply end in a stone wall.

Keeping her hand on the wall, she closed her eyes and concentrated, searching for a way to get around this obstacle. Suddenly, the world inside her head began spinning and she found herself in the same place, but another time. She didn't know if it was the future or the past.

She noticed movement to her left and turned quickly, expecting an enemy. However, the cloaked person didn't even seem to notice her as it approached the wall. Katya watched with interest as the figure removed a hand from its cloak and placed it against the exact middle of the wall. Then, a bright flash came from the figure's hand and, when it disappeared, so did the wall.

Then, just as suddenly as the vision had begun, it disintegrated and Katya was thrown back to present time. Still in a trance-like state, she placed her palm against the center of the wall and surged a bit of light energy through it. As soon as she called the power back, the wall vanished.

Behind her, Hiroki smirked. "Nice job."

"Thanks," Katya replied, flashing him a smile. "Now, let's see where this goes."

They all walked quickly through the space where the wall had been. As soon as they had passed through, it reappeared. Ahead of them, they saw another door. This one was metal with decorative gold symbols. Approaching cautiously, Takeru tried to open it; this one wasn't locked.

Giving a signal to stay quiet and alert, Takeru pushed the door open and slunk inside. The others followed suit. Hugging the walls, they crept along the passageway. Suddenly, it branched off in several directions, each open passage circling high above a collection of rooms with stairs leading from the walkway down to the floor. Going on instinct, Takeru chose a path to their direct left. He crept silently, half crouching to remain hidden. He saw that the others were following his example.

When the walkway they were on became suspended above a small room, Takeru laid down on his stomach and peered over the edge. He had to catch himself to keep from gasping and being discovered for, down in the room, Tejuku, Keitya, and two other children stood. Next to him, he felt Katya stiffen. The two Elementals didn't seem to understand. However, Takeru couldn't explain just yet, any noise could get them caught.

Staying silent, he tried to hear what the group was saying. The strange boy was the first one he heard.

"I can't believe that Master wants us to work with _him._"

"Believe it Rioku. Master says that it is the only way to secure victory," the strange girl replied to his statement.

"Of course _you _don't mind, you'd do anything to stay on Master's good side," Rioku stated scornfully.

"That's because I have brains, something you're obviously lacking," she shot back.

"Shut up you two," Tejuku ordered. "It's bad enough around here without your constant bickering."

"Seriously," Keitya agreed. "You two sound like an old pair of bitter lovers. Besides, it's not our place to question Master and Mistress. We'll work with this...this person because they told us to. We should give it no more thought than that."

"Oh gee, sorry I'm not excited about having to help one of our enemies," Rioku said sarcastically.

"Well excuse us for not wanting to be punished for defiance," the strange girl retorted.

"Irika, _enough,_" Tejuku ordered more firmly. "You too Rioku. Keitya's right, we do what we're told, like it or not. There will be no more fighting about this, am I understood?"

The two looked down. "Yes Tejuku," they mumbled before glaring at each other.

"Anyway," Tejuku continued, taking out and sharpening one of his swords. "As Rioku inadvertently pointed out, this man is just _one _of our enemies. We can use him to rid ourselves of another before turning against him."

Rioku was about to reply, when he stopped and tilted his head. "Do you sense something off?" he asked quietly.

Tejuku's eyes narrowed and he concentrated too. Suddenly, his eyes widened and darted up towards the walkway where the Guardians had concealed themselves. Frowning deeply, he motioned for the others to follow him as he transformed to his true form and flew up. Unexpectedly, the walkway was empty. But, he could have sworn that he had felt _his _energy. Could have sworn that his accursed brother was here. Even now, he could sense lingering traces of the Shadow aura given off by his twin.

Looking around one last time, he inwardly shrugged, still discontented, and glided back to the ground. At that same second, the door to the room opened.

"All of you are to report to the Master's private quarters immediately," a small voice said.

Tejuku nodded curtly, transformed back to human, and walked out of the door, the other three following hesitantly. A meeting with the Master was really the _last _thing that they wanted.

Up on the walkway, Takeru called back his shadow energy, causing the dome that had been shielding them to disappear. That had been way too close. If Tejuku had moved one foot further, he would have bumped into the barrier, and they would have been discovered.

"What now?" Katya whispered so softly that it almost wasn't heard.

Takeru frowned; they couldn't just leave, but they were probably seriously outnumbered. It was quite the dilemma. Choosing cautiousness over curiosity, he answered.

"We'll go now, and come back later with a couple of our Shadow Beasts, they can fit, and would give us security."

The others nodded, following his logic. They began to silently creep back the way that they had come. They had almost reached the point where the walkways merged again when a figure suddenly dropped in front of them.

"I knew it," Tejuku stated haughtily as he and the other three surrounded the group.

Not giving the surprised group of Guardians any time to retaliate, Irika called in a cloud of green fog. The Guardians were paralyzed instantly. Tejuku knelt down in front of Takeru and stared into the boy's blue eyes. He could see the anger there, the power that was being gathered. However, until Takeru had gathered enough energy to break the paralyzation, he was completely helpless; Tejuku could destroy him then and there...but Master and Mistress wanted them alive.

Scowling in rage and frustration, Tejuku raised his fist and brought it down on Takeru's head, knocking him out. The other three were incapacitated in the same way. Irika called back her green fog and looked down at the group with disgust.

"Well, that was easy," she commented, "I expected more of a fight."

"And you would have gotten one," Keitya started, "If they had really wanted to get away."

"What do you mean?" Rioku demanded.

"I fought the Light Mage before, and I know that she's more than powerful enough to break the paralyzation in a second or two, yet she didn't, neither did the others. A small part of their minds must have _wanted _to be captured."

"That doesn't make any sense," Irika stated.

"It makes perfect sense," Tejuku spoke up. "Subconsciously at least, they want to know what's going on, getting captured is the perfect way to see the inside of an operation. They must have guessed that we wouldn't kill them, and decided to take a chance."

"What do we do with them now?" Rioku asked. "I mean, Master wants them to be taken to him, but should we give them what they want?"

"We don't have a choice," Tejuku replied shortly, hefting Takeru not-so-gently onto his shoulder. "Come on, we have to get them to Master and Mistress."

/o-o/

A few hours later, Tejuku sat, perched on a crate, watching the still form of his twin inside one of the cells. The Mistress had ordered that the Guardians be taken to the prisons until further notice, with Takeru separated from the rest, and Tejuku was to watch Takeru. Of course, being anywhere near Takeru disgusted Tejuku, so he had spent the past hours sending death glares at the blonde, hoping that he would just suddenly die or something.

Actually, take that back. He didn't want Takeru to just die, he wanted to be the one to kill him. He had a score to settle and he'd be damned if he failed. However, for the time being, he could only do as his Mistress ordered.

His scowl deepened as the figure inside the cell groaned and moved. The bastard was waking up.

"Finally awake?" Tejuku asked scornfully. "It's about time, I was getting tired of babysitting."

Takeru pushed himself into a sitting position and glared back. "Don't you have somewhere else to be? Playing the perfect pet to your mistress, perhaps?"

"Shut up bastard!" Tejuku growled. "You don't know anything!"

"Oh, I see," Takeru replied knowingly. "Your orders are to stay here. And, being the great lapdog you are, you're obeying completely, even though you'd rather slit my throat."

"Damn right I would," he shot back. "And I will soon enough. You'll see."

"When your mistress says it's okay, right?"

Tejuku simply scowled at him. Takeru decided to change his tone and try to get information out of his brother; he shuddered as he thought that word.

He looked around. "Where are we anyway?"

"I thought you had all the answers," Tejuku sneered.

"Not all, just most. Now, are you going to answer, or don't you know?"

"Of course I know," Tejuku scoffed. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you, since your going to die anyway."

Takeru raised his eyebrow at the last statement, but stayed quiet.

"You're at the Abbey," Tejuku continued.

"I was right then," Takeru remarked off-handedly. "I thought that is what this might have been. I never thought that you'd be working for them though."

"Why not?" Tejuku asked, eyes narrowed.

Takeru shrugged. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're powerful. I can't understand why you would degrade yourself so, by serving others here."

"I'll have you know that many others here are much more powerful than I."

"Like Karina?"

Tejuku's eyes widened slightly. How the hell had he known about her?

Takeru smirked. "So I was right again, Karina _is _one of the Abbey members."

"What of it?" Tejuku challenged, trying to act naturally.

"Tell me, is she the most powerful of the Abbey members?"

"One of the most, what's it to you? Hey," he said as he saw that Takeru was smirking again. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking of how pathetic you are. I mean, serving people as weak as Karina? I could beat her with my eyes closed."

Tejuku's face flushed with rage. "As I recall, she defeated you both times you met up."

"She ran right after she attacked," Takeru replied simply. "She was afraid to face me, because she knew she couldn't win."

"That's not true!" Tejuku defended his mistress automatically.

"Isn't it?" Takeru replied cooly. "Why else would she send you to face me instead of confronting me herself?"

"She knows I have a score to settle."

"She doesn't give a damn about our 'score,' she's using you, surely even you aren't so dense that you can't see it."

Tejuku scowled again. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" Takeru challenged.

There was silence for a few moments between the two. Then,

"So what if she _is_ using me? I still get what I want."

"And what's that? The chance to kill me? Well, here's a news flash; you're definitely not the only one who wants to kill me, Karina does too. Do you really think that she'd let _you _kill me instead of taking advantage of the chance herself?"

Tejuku stared at Takeru, desperately wanting the boy's logic to disappear. His Mistress couldn't, _wouldn't, _do that to him...would she? She knew how much getting revenge meant to him, it was his only purpose in life. She wouldn't take that away from him. But...what if she did?

He continued looking at Takeru. Maybe he should just kill him now and be done with it. He could handle whatever punishment he would receive; after all, with his revenge complete, it wouldn't matter if he died. Mind set, he stood and drew his dagger. He'd have to do this the regular human way, as each dungeon was equipped with a copy of a numbing stone, preventing both boys from using their powers. However, Tejuku had the advantage because Takeru was still weak from the poisonous fog.

As he prepared to open the door to the cell and lunge in, driving the dagger straight through Takeru's heart, he paused, unsure. He was positive that he could do it, no doubt in his mind, but it would be a cowardly act, killing an unarmed opponent. This wasn't the revenge he wanted. He wanted to face Takeru in an all out fight to the death out on the battle field, not stopping until one of them was dead. Even if he lost, at least it would be an honorable death.

But killing Takeru right now, while he was weak, unarmed, and cornered in a cage...that would be anything _but_ honorable. Tejuku wanted to be remembered as a valiant hero, not a cowardly mercenary.

Inside the cell, Takeru stood up and walked towards the cell door. It was time to bargain with the enemy. It was the best chance that he had to get out and find the others unharmed. He stopped a few feet from Tejuku.

"Listen to me," he started quietly. Tejuku looked up at him, eyes narrowed. "We can make this work for both of us. Unlock that door, let me go for now, and I promise you your battle of revenge. However, if you simply give me to Karina, you'll never get that chance."

Tejuku looked down again, scowling. He couldn't make a deal with this enemy prisoner, he couldn't. But...if what Takeru said was true...if he never got the chance for revenge...

"You know what you have to do," Takeru urged, deciding to play on Tejuku's pride. "You know what you _want _to do. I never thought that you were the kind of person to bend over backwards to fulfill another's will. I thought you were a more worthy opponent than that."

Tejuku's head shot up at Takeru's silent challenge. Internally, he was in conflict. One part of his mind was telling him just to obey and trust in Karina, while the other was telling him to listen to his gut and let Takeru go for the time being and exact his promised revenge later. After several minutes, the latter side finally won.

Eyes down and movements somewhat stiff, he unlocked the cell door and opened it slightly. As Takeru walked past, Tejuku spoke darkly.

"This changes _nothing _between us. I will still fight you one last time, no interruptions, and one way or another we will finish this."

Takeru paused, small smirk playing on his lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied before heading out of the room and turning down the hallway.

Tejuku watched him leave with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he had just betrayed his Mistress and set a dangerous prisoner free, but on the other hand, he had come one step closer to reaching his destiny, and fulfilling his father's score. Now all that remained for him to do was to have one final battle with a truly honorable opponent.

/o-o/

In another dungeon, Katya, Hikari, and Hiroki had just woken up to find Keitya, Irika, and Rioku glaring at them. They glared back until, suddenly, Katya looked around.

"Where's Takeru? Why isn't he here?" she demanded.

The three outside of the cell stayed silent.

"Answer her," Hiroki ordered, "Where is Takeru?"

Again, this was met by silence. Hiroki became even more agitated. He grabbed the bars of the cell and glared daggers at Rioku. The boy smirked.

"Just give it up," he stated nonchalantly. "You may as well just accept the fact that you'll never see your leader again. If you just surrender, you'll make things a lot less painful for yourselves."

"Forget it," Hikari growled. "We'd _never_ give in to you."

Rioku shrugged. "Suit yourselves."

Suddenly, he perked up.

"What is it?" Irika asked, looking over at him through narrowed eyes from her perch.

"Someone's coming," he replied quietly. "Someone who's not supposed to be here."

"Who?" Keitya demanded.

"I-I don't know," he replied, confused.

"Here's a hint," a new voice said as a dagger flew through the air towards the boy.

Rioku dodged and scowled. "_You! _How did you get out?"

Takeru smirked. "Ask Tejuku, he's the one who unlocked the cell."

"It's not true!" Keitya denied, jumping up. Behind her, Irika also rose.

"He wouldn't do that," she stated.

"Then how did I get out?" Takeru challenged, restating the original question. In the cell, the other three Guardians stayed silent, letting Takeru work.

Not wanting to believe it, Rioku picked up the dagger on the ground and charged. Takeru blocked by grabbing Rioku's wrist. Rioku broke free and charged again, meeting with the same result.

"You can't win," Takeru stated. "And Tejuku wouldn't want you to, anyway."

"Stop lying!" Rioku panted as he struggled against Takeru's grip. "Tejuku wouldn't betray us!"

"Tejuku didn't betray anyone. You're betraying yourselves by serving this Abbey. They don't care about you, and one day you'll die because of them. Tejuku realized the truth, why can't you?"

"You're lying!" Rioku persisted, breaking away and charging again.

However, this time it was Keitya who stopped him.

"What are you _doing!"_ Rioku demanded, eyes full of hostility.

"The only way he _could _have gotten out was if Tejuku let him go," she rationalized while glaring at him. "Tejuku is our leader, if this is what he wanted, we have no place to challenge it."

Rioku glared back at her before relenting and lowering his gaze. Reitya let go of his wrist. She then turned back to Takeru.

"I don't make a habit of dealing with the enemy," she started slowly, obviously forcing herself to say it, "But if Tejuku let you go, and you couldn't have gotten out any other way, then I won't stop you from taking your friends. Just remember, we may be letting you go now, but we _will _get you later."

"Oh, I've no doubt that we will meet again," Takeru replied as he took the keys from a hook on the wall, watching the three enemies with hawk eyes as he did. "And when we do, I'm sure it'll be one hell of a fight." He unlocked the door and the other three filed out. "But for now, we bid you farewell."

With that, the four made a hasty exit, not receiving any resistance from the resigned three. Once in the hallway, they began to look for an exit. Along the way, Hiroki spoke for the first time to Takeru.

"Was it true, what you said? Did Tejuku really just let you go?"

Takeru nodded. "He's a lot more rational than he seems to be; he already had seeds of doubt in his mind about this Abbey and Karina, I just made them grow."

"Wait, so Karina _is _involved with the Abbey?" Katya asked as they rounded another corner.

Takeru nodded again. "Tejuku said that she's one of the most powerful people here. He didn't really say anything else about her, though."

"Well, maybe I can be some help with some of your questions," a sweet, but venom-filled, voice stated from behind them.

The four spun around trying to ready their powers, however, they could still feel the effects of the numbing stones. They saw that Karina was standing behind them, wearing an Abbey cloak. Behind her, another three figures stood.

"You may as well give up now," Karina said, sounding arrogantly amused. "We don't intend to let you leave without a fight, but you can't use your powers, and you don't have any weapons. You don't stand a chance, you can't win."

"You'll forgive us if we try," Hikari stated quietly as the four quickly took defensive positions.

Karina scowled, having expected them to submit to the helplessness of the situation. She raised her land to the stone on her necklace that cancelled out the numbing stone and called upon her power. As the energy swirled in front of her, she opened her eyes to stare at the Guardians with hatred.

"This is one fight you're going to regret," she murmured quietly as she let the energy go.

The Guardians tensed as the energy came at them like daggers. With no powers or weapons, this was going to be impossible to win. They only hoped that they could at least survive.


	24. Massacre

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! All I can say is that I haven't quite decided if Matt and Tai make and appearance, but **_if _**they do, it probably won't be until sometime near the end.

Katya leapt out of the way of the energy just in time, narrowly missing being hit. Next to her, the others had similar close calls. However, they were all unharmed, for the time being. They had a feeling it wouldn't last for long though.

As Karina let forth another lightning attack, one of the figures behind her released an attack as well. That attack was just pure energy. It intertwined with Karina's attack to create a deadly wall of lightning. There was nowhere for the Guardians to seek cover. They closed their eyes as the attack came closer and braced themselves for impact.

Takeru turned and pulled Katya close, hoping to shield her with his own body. His desire to protect her burned more brightly than anything else, even his own desire to live. He tensed as he felt the energy get closer, desperately wishing that he could do something to stop it.

Rapidly, he tried to reach his Life Force Crystal to get some power. His descent was blocked yet again. However, he would not be deterred. He pushed against that barrier wall with everything he had, not caring about what the consequences might be.

Then, with a shattering sound, the wall gave way and Takeru reached his Crystal. However, he had been pushing against the barrier with such force that he could not completely control his descent. He tumbled past the spheres marking the powers he controlled, and began to feel his mind spiral out of control.

He was on the brink of panicking, but knew that he had to get in control or all would be lost. Tensing even more, he fought desperately to get back up to a safe point in his Crystal and get his mind to stabilize. He could feel the attack getting closer with every passing millisecond, and knew that he didn't have much time.

When the attack was within only a foot or so of them, he realized that he had no more time, and he needed to take a chance. Stabilizing his spiraling mind as best as he could, he released the energy from where he was.

He bit his lip to hold back a cry as the newfound amount of energy ripped through his body, feeling as though it was searing him from the inside. He believed that it was worth it, however, as his energy created a successful barrier, stopping the Abbey's attack cold. He heard the shocked gasps all around him as he called back his energy. He felt so exhausted now, and he leaned against Katya heavily.

"How did you do that!" Karina shrieked as Katya asked the same question quietly.

"You have to break through and spiral," Takeru replied softly to Katya, hoping that she understood.

Apparently, she did, as did the two Elementals behind her, who had overheard. They too closed their eyes and focused on gathering their energy and reaching the blockade separating them from their Crystals. Subconsciously mimicking Takeru's actions, they each pushed against their own barriers with as much force as they could obtain. As the barrier within Takeru had done, the other three barriers shattered.

The three Guardians were then sent spiraling through their Crystals. As soon as they had somewhat steadied themselves, they released a massive wave of energy as well. Opening their eyes again, they were satisfied to see that the members of the Abbey were looking a lot less sure of themselves.

With Takeru standing in front of them, they stared down the Abbey members, power raging through them at an almost deadly pace.

"Your Numbing Stones will not affect us any longer," Takeru stated quietly, Shadow dancing in his eyes and radiating from his body.

"You've lost your advantage," Katya continued.

"The fight will now continue on even ground," Hikari added.

"You'd do well to back out while you still can," Hiroki finished.

To their surprise, one of the figures behind Karina, an old man by the sound of him, laughed.

"In case you've forgotten little children," he started with malice in his voice, "We are not only more experienced and stronger than you are, but you're on our playing field. What makes you believe that you can best us in our own home?"

"Our cause is honorable, unlike yours. We cannot afford to fail, and we will _not _accept defeat," Hikari answered softly, wind dancing in her eyes.

A younger woman let out a sharp laugh.

"You honestly believe that your _willpower _will guarantee your victory?"

"That, and this as well," Hiroki replied, smirking as he raised his hand and called forth a river of fire, heading straight for the speaker.

The woman was barely able to dodge it, though she tried to keep her cool. Hikari decided to tip the scales in their favor by intensifying Hiroki's fire with her wind. They sent this combined attack at the woman again, this time succeeding in scorching her robe and part of her arm.

"You see," Hiroki continued softly as he fed the river of fire. "Not only do we have the drive to win, but we have the power to back it up. You cannot succeed in a battle against us, so why do you insist on trying?"

"We have worked too hard for too long to give up to the likes of you," the fourth figure, a young man, snarled. "We will succeed, it is our destiny!"

"And it is our destiny to stop you," Katya stated calmly. "We will give you one last chance to surrender peacefully. What say you?"

"Go to hell," the young man answered, sending a burst of energy their way.

They easily avoided it and stared impassively at the offenders, power still radiating from them, giving them almost god-like appearances.

"We have given you ample opportunity to back away with no consequence, however, since you insist on fighting, we have no choice but to oblige you," Takeru stated softly.

He raised his hand and called upon a great ball of Shadow. Looking each of the members of the Abbey in the eyes, he released his Shadow Energy in a massive wave. The four members of the Abbey raised their hands as well and created a large energy wall to block his Shadow. It just barely worked, as Takeru was still drawing immense power from deep within his Crystal. Lowering their hands when the attack ended, three of the Abbey members looked wary at first, but the old man looked suspiciously confident.

Motioning to his fellows, the old man turned and jumped down from the walkway into the room below. Barely hesitating, the other three followed him. The Guardians watched them with looks of mild interest on their faces before walking to the edge of the walkway and peering down.

There seemed to be nothing special about the room that was below, it was a small room full of books with a couple of chairs. The three Abbey members that had followed the old man stood in the center, keeping a shielded watch on the Guardians above. The old man was pulling a book from one of the shelves. He opened the gray-bound book and began flipping through it.

His actions confused the empowered teenagers; why would he be looking a ta book _now _of all times? It seemed like an inappropriate move. However, the uncertainty of it made it seem all that more threatening. As the old man continued scanning the pages, Takeru decided that it would be best to stop whatever the Abbey was plotting before they had a chance to put it into action.

Carefully judging distance, Takeru stepped off the walkway ledge and 'rode' his energy to land gracefully on the floor. Katya landed to his left, Hikari and Hiroki to his right. To their surprise, the Abbey members did not seem bothered by their presence at all. It was as if the fight had never taken place and they were not there.

Deciding to remind them that they _were_ indeed fighting, Hiroki raised his hand and shot a ball of fire towards the book that the old man was holding; none in the room even attempted to stop it, it was actually the book that defended itself and its holder. Briefly flashing bright yellow, the book easily deflected Hiroki's attack. The Fire Elemental frowned as he reabsorbed his energy.

The old man, who had until this time been staring intently at the book, raised his eyes to look mockingly at the Guardians. A slight yellow glow still surrounded him and the book. Lifting a hand, the man pointed a finger at the wary Guardians who were unsure what to do. As he muttered something under his breath, the glow brightened again but this time it traveled down his outstretched arm and headed for Hiroki.

Hiroki's eyes widened and he instinctively created a defensive wall of flame. The yellow energy did not seem deterred, though, as it hit the wall of fire hard, and forced its way through. Though some of the power was lost, it still threw Hiroki several feet back into the wall when it hit his mid-section.

"Hiroki!" the three Guardians yelled.

Hikari ran over and dropped down by him as Takeru and Katya turned back to the Abbey members and called upon their energy. However, the old man did not seem fazed by the aura of energy surrounding them. He looked almost apathetic.

"It's over for you now Guardians," he said with a nearly mad-sounding tone. "You should feel proud, though. No one has ever proved enough of a threat for us to need to resort to using these black magic enhancing books. You lot are the first."

"You'll excuse us if we seem less than enthusiastic," Katya growled in reply as she glanced back to where Hiroki was trying to force his bruised body to move.

Calling upon her Light, she released a burst of blinding light, hoping to give Takeru the opportunity to attack. He caught on quickly and when the light cleared, he had called upon an attack of his own and had moved within just a foot or two of the woman whose name he did not know. She recoiled in surprise, but was not fast enough to avoid a direct hit of Shadow Energy. She was thrown backwards and sent crashing into the young man behind her. Both of them fell to the ground.

The old man reacted quickly for a person of his age and he called upon another spell from the black magic enhancing book. Takeru tried to dodge, but was hit hard in the side. He hit a bookcase on the wall with a sickening thud.

Katya went into a rage at seeing her lover hurt. She called upon all of the Light Energy that she could muster and directed it at the book in the man's hands. The man smirked as the book once again set up a shield. However, the force of Katya's attack was so great that it caused the shield to begin to crumble. The man's eyes widened as the shield broke and he braced himself for the attack's impact. Unfortunately for the Guardians, it had taken so much energy for the attack to break the barrier that there was virtually no strength left. It simply dissipated right in front of the old man, not harming him at all.

Even though he had been unharmed, the old man had finally realized that they were in a great deal of trouble, especially if more than one of the Guardians attacked at once. They needed more power. Rapidly looking around for a source, his gaze rested on the man and woman still on the ground. The man was checking the woman's injuries while she simply laid there, obviously in pain.

"Nukai," the old man called.

The younger man looked over. Taking advantage of the man's apparent lack of focus, Katya darted over to help Takeru up. Not far away, both Hikari and Hiroki were standing again, watching the old man with slight confusion, wondering what he was up to.

"Her stone Nukai, get her stone!" the old man ordered as he worked on trying to uphold another shield.

Nukai's eyes widened and darted back down to the young woman lying down, looking up at him with a pleading gaze. He couldn't take her stone, she had been such a loyal friend...he couldn't.

"_Now _Nukai, unless you want us to lose and be eliminated!"

Insides already knotted up, he thought over what the man had just said. It was clear that they needed more power; the Guardians, who for some reason or another weren't attacking presently, could wipe them out with a single massive blow if they so wished. All that they had worked so hard for would be destroyed, centuries of work would be gone like that. He couldn't let that happen; he couldn't let his weak emotions conflict with victory. Victory was the only thing that mattered, or so he had been told all his life, friends were nothing but setbacks.

Looking down at the woman one more time, he stared deep into her eyes, hoping that she would understand that it was for the good of them all.

"I'm sorry Nadiay," he whispered quietly as he wrapped his hands around the gray/green Shadow Stone on the metal choker around her neck.

Nadiay's eyes widened but before she could say or do anything, Nukai had ripped the stone, choker and all, off of her neck roughly. She let out an agonizing scream as her now-uncontrollable power surged through her veins, bursting them instantly.

The Guardians watched in horror as the woman convulsed on the floor and began coughing up blood and choking on it. With a last muffled, hoarse scream, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell still, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth.

Nukai, who had turned away from the sight and pretended that it hadn't been happening, threw Nadiay's stone almost carelessly to the old man. The old man then placed the stone in the middle of a page in the book and chanted a strange spell. The book glowed violently bright and absorbed the stone. The Guardians could feel the new amount of power radiating from the book.

"You monsters!" Hikari growled. "How could you kill _one of your own_ just like that and act like it was nothing?"

"Her sacrifice was for the greater good," Karina stated almost airily. "It was what she would have wanted."

"Nobody wants to die!" Hiroki exclaimed. "And certainly not like _that_."

"Who are you to pass judgement?" Nukai asked quietly. "Who are you to say that your cause is right and ours is wrong? What right have you to make those kinds of decisions?"

"We are the Guardians," Katya protested. "We are here to protect those on Hiata from oppressors like you."

"The Guardians have that right? Don't make me laugh," Nukai continued, still quiet. "You say your cause is great, but do you have proof? Do you have proof that we are evil? In the end, it really comes down to your word against ours."

"We are clearly right," Hiroki defended. "I mean, you just _killed _another member of your Abbey for more power!"

"You kill too!" Nukai shot back. "Or have you forgotten? You claim that because we use force to achieve otherwise unreachable goals that we are wrong, but you use force as well. You bring pain and suffering wherever you go, though it may not be apparent at the time. If we are evil, than you are the same, if not worse."

The Guardians stared at him, speechless. Was it possible...was he right? No, they did what was best for Hiata...didn't they? It wasn't their fault that many people wanted them dead, and therefore sometimes attacked the villages that they went to...was it? After all, they protected the villages from attacks...attacks brought on by their presence.

"Enough words, it's time for action," the old man cried as he opened another page in the book.

He only muttered a few words before the violent glow of the book returned. The energy swirled overhead of the three remaining top Abbey members, gaining power all the time. The old man raised his hand and the energy automatically swirled around and above it. Then, he lowered his hand so that it pointed to the Guardians. Flashing brightly once more, the energy surged towards them, disintegrating everything in its path.

Instinctively, Takeru created a Shadow dome to help protect them, knowing that it would not be enough on its own. Seeming to be thinking the same thing, Hiroki created a dome of Fire to reinforce Takeru's dome. This was followed by a Wind dome, and finally a Light dome. Only seconds later, the energy hit.

It pushed hard against Takeru's dome, trying to find even the slightest weakness. Inside the core of the four domes, Takeru was having a hard time maintaining his Shadow. It seemed like the energy from the book was draining away all of his power bit by bit. Soon, he couldn't take the immense barrage of power anymore and his shield shattered. He sank to his knees, breathing heavily and trying not to pass out altogether.

The energy had moved on to Hiroki's shield now. While a fair amount of its energy had been used up on breaking the Shadow shield, it was still extremely powerful. Draining Hiroki's power as it had Takeru's, the energy waited impatiently for the boy to give up his futile struggle. It took only a few minutes until Hiroki sank next to Takeru.

Easily breaking through the Fire shield, the energy found itself facing a Wind shield next. Every time it would get close, the wind would repel it. However, the old man wasn't ready to quit yet. He ordered the slightly depleted energy to attack with all of its might. Ramming against the barrier of Wind persistently, the energy slowly began draining Hikari's power. But, because it was weaker, it wasn't draining the energy as quickly, which allowed Hikari to drain some of _its_ energy. However, a few minutes later, Hikari too was overwhelmed and she collapsed next to the two boys. It was all up to Katya now.

Katya braced herself as the energy rammed against her shield next. She was glad to see that it was much weaker than it had originally been, thanks to the layers of powerful shields that it had to go through. She now only needed to hold it off until the others regained some of their strength; she hoped she could. After the barrage had been going on for a few moments, Katya began to feel slightly light-headed, due to lack of energy. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up, and none of the others looked like they were in any condition to fight.

Still kneeling on the ground, Takeru was desperately wishing that he had some of that blood tonic right now. Looking up at Katya, he could easily tell that her energy was about to give out; when they happened they would all be dead unless some miracle saved them.

He inwardly cursed, he was the leader, he was supposed to protect them! Instead, he had been the first to go down. He wasn't suited to be a leader. However, as he watched Katya, he realized that now was not the time to be arguing with himself about such things. He needed to take action.

Forcing himself up, he walked behind her and held onto her arms, supporting her if she needed it. Apparently she did, as she leaned against him heavily. She kept her shield up strong, though. Leaning over slightly, Takeru whispered a plan into her ear. It was a long shot, he knew, but it might be their only shot.

Nodding in agreement with his plan, Katya allowed him to help her collapse onto the floor. For Takeru's plan to work, she needed to hold her shield for just a couple seconds longer. Moving as quickly as he could, Takeru gathered the two Elementals so that the four of them were in a tight circle. As he whispered his plan to them, they nodded as well.

Creating a small ball of potent Shadow energy, he gave the signal to Katya, who immediately shrank her Light dome so that it covered just them. She left a little Light energy right next to the book's energy. Instantaneously, Takeru shot his Shadow energy at Katya's Light energy. Then, he and the other two Guardians quickly reinforced Katya's dome.

When the Shadow energy hit the Light energy, there was a massive explosion that drew the book's energy into its core. The energy was quickly overtaken and destroyed. The shockwaves from the explosion traveled throughout the small room and, if not for the book's shield, would have destroyed the remaining Abbey members.

As they let their shields down for the moment, the Guardians noticed that the shockwaves had actually blown a hole in the ceiling of the room, revealing a light gray sky. They also noticed the old man preparing another energy attack.

"Come on," Takeru called, changing into his true form, "Let's take this outside."

Nodding, the other Guardians changed as well and followed him out of the hole in the ceiling.

"Don't let them escape!" the old man cried angrily.

He, Karina, and Nukai quickly flew out of the building after them. They found the Guardians hovering above a plain not far away, wolves, lionesses, and two great birds surrounding them. Narrowing her eyes, Karina raised her hand and called in her dragon. It appeared rapidly and she settled herself on it. Next to her, Nukai called his snake and the old man called both Nadiay's bear and his panther.

It would have seemed like the Guardians had the advantage, if it hadn't been for the sudden mass of Abbey followers who were pouring out of the building. Each had at least one Spirit Animal or Shadow Beast. They were all relatively weak alone, Takeru sensed, but their was strength in numbers. And speaking of strength, his was waning fast. If they hoped to succeed, this victory would have to be swift, something that didn't seem quite possible at the moment. However, they knew they had to try.

When the old man released another wave of the book's energy, the Guardians were able to dodge, thanks to the great expanse of the sky. Unfortunately for them, the book's energy was not like a normal attack and it swung around for a second try at hitting them.

They were able to dodge again, but it turned and came for another shot. It quickly became clear that it would not stop until it had hit something. Deciding to take a risk, Hiroki flew in front of the energy, trying to become the target. It seemed to work as the energy changed its course slightly when he moved. He then flew as fast as he could, leading it along, hoping to distract it enough so that it wouldn't notice where they were heading.

After a few moments of the cat-and-mouse game, Hiroki decided to try his luck. He quickly flew down towards the ranks of Abbey followers, easily dodging or blocking their weak attacks. Looking back to make sure that the energy was still following him, he dove at the ground, pulling up at the last second and darting around the various Abbey members on the ground. Looking back again, he saw that his plan had worked, the energy had attacked the Abbey population instead of him, and had killed a dozen or so.

Suddenly, Nukai's words came rushing back into his mind. _'You kill too! Or have you forgotten?'_

Hiroki stared down at the bodies of the Abbey members. Was Nukai right about them? No...couldn't be...the Guardians _hated_ to kill, but sometimes it was a necessary evil. Wasn't it?

He didn't have any more time to think as a shriek from above caught his attention. Moving his gaze upward quickly, he saw that Fury was currently grappling with Karina's dragon and, while he didn't seem to be losing, he didn't seem to be winning either.

Next to the phoenix, Takeru was trying to fight the old man, Katya was going against Karina, and Hikari was trying to defeat Nukai. The wolves, lionesses, and Whisper were busy battling the ground troops. They all seemed to be losing. Darting up quickly, Hiroki flew to Hikari's aid first.

Right before he arrived, Nukai had charged Hikari again, this time land an attack squarely in her stomach. She fell backwards in the sky for a few yards before she caught herself. She doubled over, clutching her injured mid-section and trying to recover her breath.

Fire burning in his eyes, Hiroki attacked Nukai furiously, throwing Fireball after Fireball. Nukai nimbly dodged the attacks and countered with energy bursts of his own. Hiroki was just able to dodge those. He darted in close to Nukai and pulled back his fist, planning to land a punch in the elder man's gut.

However, before he had the chance, Nukai had his left arm in a vice grip. The elder man twisted Hiroki's arm without mercy until the younger teen was writhing in silent agony, though he would not let it show. He hissed as he heard a bone pop in his wrist. Suddenly, the man placed his other hand against Hiroki's torso and fired a sharp energy blast, sending him flying into Hikari. They both fell several more yards before steadying themselves.

Looking through a pain-filled haze, Hiroki saw Nukai descending towards them slowly. Behind Nukai, Hiroki could make out the figures of Takeru and Katya. They seemed to be in worse shape than the Elementals, and had no more energy. However, the Mages would not give up their futile struggle. When they were struck down again, they hovered in the air, as the Elementals were.

The Guardians knew that they had to think of something fast, but nothing came to mind. As the old man descended on the two Mages, Takeru pushed Katya behind him with painful movements. Katya buried her head on Takeru's shoulder and waited for the death blow. Takeru simply stared up at the man, ready to meet death again if he had to. It wouldn't be so bad for him, he liked the darkness, it was Katya he was concerned for.

He couldn't help but flinch as the man gathered another energy burst and pointed it at his head. He could feel the energy radiating off of the man's hand, which was mere inches away. As more energy was gathered, Takeru instinctively closed his eyes. He tensed as he felt that the energy had been released. However, it never hit him.

Snapping his eyes open again, he saw a strange angel-like creature in front of them holding a golden shield and a sword. Apparently, the angel had been able to use the obviously magical golden shield to stop the attack.

"Are you alright my Lord and Lady?" he asked quietly, not taking his eyes off of the baffled Abbey members.

Takeru nodded as he painfully rose, pulling Katya up with him. "Who are you, angel?" he asked softly, watching the Abbey members as well.

"I am Lejio a member of the Caelon."

"_The Caelon_? Karina shrieked, startling the others. "But, you're extinct!"

"Clearly not," Lejio replied cooly. "We are all around you."

Looking around, Katya saw that this was true. There were seven other angels clustered around the battlefield. It appeared that one had saved Hiroki and Hikari from Nukai.

"You have no business here," the old man snarled. "Leave now or we shall ravage your peoples and exterminate you for good. Would you risk your species very existence simply to help the Guardians?"

Lejio remained stoic. "It is our duty to aid the Guardians, and we intend to fulfill that duty, no matter the cost."

"Fools," Karina spat. "In coming here, you have signed the warrant for your destruction. You have even left the gateway to your Paradise open. What, do you wish to die?"

"If it will save the Guardians and Hiata, than it makes no difference to us," Lejio replied sharply as he quickly leapt forward, sword raised.

Karina called upon a burst of lightning to stop him. He fell back slightly, winded, but immediately attacked again. The other Caelon followed his lead, all having about the same result. As this was happening, the Guardians were rapidly trying to gather their strength. They hated having to let others fight for them while they did nothing, but with as little energy as they currently had, they would probably just be in the way. They needed a few more minutes to conserve enough to be useful.

However, Karina didn't seem willing to give anyone a few minutes. With a wave of her hand, she sent her dragon, as well as several other flying creatures, towards the light in the sky that marked the entrance to the Caelon's Paradise. Hikari watched with horror from the other side of the battlefield, mental images of the Caelon children flashing through her mind.

"Takeru, Katya!" she called desperately to the Mages, who happened to be much closer to the portal than she and Hiroki were.

The two Mages looked over sharply.

"Children! There are _children _in that Paradise!"

Eyes widened, Takeru looked back over to where the dragons, birds, and bats were closing in on the portal. Knowing that he couldn't simply stand by and watch, he darted quickly in that direction, Katya followed close behind. They weren't sure what they could do with their limited energy and resources, but they had to do something or those children would be dead.

Flying fast, they gained rapidly on the Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals. However, they weren't fast enough, as the beasts and animals were able to reach the portal. With a small flash of light, they disappeared. The two Mages followed quickly.

Many yards away, the two Elementals watched them grimly. They hoped their friends would be able to help the children. They themselves had to worry about helping the Caelon here. Satisfied that they had gathered enough energy to be of some use, they darted from behind Galeo and launched a surprise attack on Nukai. It succeeded in knocking him back and burning his skin a little, but not much else. However, Carlion took advantage of Nukai's momentary lack of defense to leap forward with a sword.

It seemed like a sure strike for the Caelon and a sure end to Nukai. But, things are not always what they seem. Right before the blade hit, Nukai dodged and grabbed Carlion's wrist, yanking the sword from him. In one fluid movement, Nukai flipped the sword around and drove it deep into Carlion's stomach.

"Carlion!" Hikari cried out in horror as the angel looked down at his wound in shock. Then, he simply fell backwards, landing heavily on the ground.

"You won't get away with this!" Lexia screamed as she saw her dear friend fall.

She pulled a dagger out of her belt and charged Nukai from behind while Galeo attacked from the front. Moving swiftly, Nukai caught Lexia's neck and pried the dagger from her hand. Spinning, he drove the dagger into Galeo's neck. The angel let out a choking sound before falling to lie next to his companion.

"Murderer!" Hikari shrieked as she latched onto Nukai's back and wrapped her arms around his throat. Meantime, Hiroki had grabbed Nukai's arm and was trying to get him to release his hold on Lexia.

Nukai did in fact release his hold on Lexia, and his hand shot up with lightning speed to snarl a fistful of Hikari's hair. He pulled hard, trying to dislodge her. She cried out in pain, but wouldn't relinquish her grip. Looking around frantically for a weapon, as he was currently out of Fire power, Hiroki spotted a dagger on the ground. Swooping down, he grabbed it and darted back up towards Nukai and Hikari. His blood boiled as he saw the blood running down Hikari's face from where Nukai had managed to land a few hits.

Mind clouded with rage, Hiroki continued to move swiftly and silently towards the two.

On Nukai's back, Hikari was just able to keep her hold. It was becoming more difficult, though, as Nukai was beginning to land more and more hits. She wouldn't let go though, this bastard needed to pay for killing her friends! She tensed as Nukai's fist came up once again and was about to connect painfully with her temple.

Suddenly, right before impact, Nukai stopped cold. Hikari felt him shudder and convulse a few times. Looking slightly down, she saw that Hiroki had managed to land a knife in Nukai's gut. She had never seen Hiroki's face so twisted with hate, but she didn't blame him. Roughly pushing away from Nukai, she flew down to Hiroki.

Any brief words they might have exchanged were cut off by an agonizing scream. Turning their heads sharply, they saw Tahia clutching at her chest. With horror, they noticed the immense amount of blood leaking from underneath her hands. As her comrades had done before her, she fell to the ground with a sickening thud as Karina watched on in amusement.

With a howl of rage, Lejio charged Karina, only to be met with the same fate as Tahia. Rushing over, the two Elementals tried to reach the others before any more died. They were not destined to succeed, however, as Diea was cut down by the old man just seconds before they reached the battle field. Now the only Caelon left were Yushio and Pumio.

Hikari and Hiroki stood a little in front of the two Caelon, wanting to protect this already nearly-extinct species from total annihilation. However, Yushio and Pumio didn't seem to want to be protected as they drew their daggers and charged from behind the two Guardians calling out battle cries, wanting to avenge their kin.

"No, wait!" Hiroki yelled, trying to catch them and stop them from completing this suicidal attack.

He was just within range of reaching Yushio when the two Caelon were hit by both lightning and the book's energy. They never stood a chance.

Hiroki was pushed back by the force of the energy, but he still saw the horrific frozen faces of the last of the adult Caelon as they fell to the ground. He knew he would never forget their open-eyed haunting stares.

"Looks like it's just us now," Karina purred quietly. "Though, soon there'll be two less players."

As she raised her hand and quickly gathered lightning for an attack, Hikari and Hiroki glanced up at the entrance to Paradise, hoping against hope that the Mages had been able to come out on top, though they had minimal energy and no Shadow Beasts or weapons. They turned back to Karina, almost completely wiped out, and tensed, waiting yet again for the end.

/o-o/

Once they had passed through the portal to Paradise, the two Mages were momentarily stunned by the beauty. It was just so...perfect. It's name suited it perfectly. They cut their awe short as they heard some childrens' cries to the left.

Darting in-between the many trees all around, they followed the cries. Seconds later, they emerged in another grove and saw what had caused the screams. The beasts and animals, led by Karina's dragon, were rampaging this fair grove that was currently filled with children.

The stomachs of the two Guardians tuned over as they saw that several bodies of children of all ages already littered the ground. Their eyes were open and their faces were contorted in fear and pain. Their wings were soaked with blood, making their dead skin seem even more pale. Takeru turned away from the sight quickly. Then, he noticed that Karina's dragon was preparing to launch another attack.

Anger flowing through his veins, he sped towards the beast, Katya close behind. Pulling his hand back, he called upon what Shadow energy he could. Next to him, Katya called on her Light energy. Sending his Shadow energy to surround the dragon, he moved out of the way so that Katya could fire her Light energy.

As soon as the two energies came into contact, an explosion resulted, killing some of the weaker beasts and animals around the dragon, however, Karina's dragon seemed to be only mildly affected. Luckily, all of the Caelon children had been far away enough that none were injured.

The attack did achieve some level of success, though, as the dragon turned its attention away from the children and towards them. As a result, all of the other beasts and animals stopped their current attacks.

Landing on the ground, Takeru rested on one knee, trying to regain some energy, Katya was beside him. They didn't have much time to recuperate before Karina's dragon opened its mouth and sent a burst of Lightning towards them.

They jumped up and out of the way only to be met by a couple of large raven-type beasts. Dodging the sharp claws, the Mages almost didn't notice that Karina's dragon had sent another attack their way. Continuing to battle with the ravens until the last possible moment, the Mages leapt out of the way and let the large birds take the hit. They were destroyed instantly.

The dragon wasted no time in attacking again. The Mages dodged and began to charge the dragon again when they suddenly heard some terrified cries from behind them. Turning, they realized with horror that the attack they had dodged had hit a cluster of trees that the children were taking cover in. Thick branches were falling, instantly killing some of the young ones who were not able to move.

Changing course sharply, they flew as quickly as they could, wanting to save as many children as possible. Swooping down so that he was inches above the ground, Takeru grabbed two children, a boy and a girl, who had been about to get crushed. He winced as the sharp branch that would have hit them instead cut into his right wing. Ignoring it, he noticed that Katya had also picked up two young ones.

Setting the children down gently near the ones who had been able to get away by themselves, they flew back to the cluster of trees, searching for anymore survivors. What they found nearly made them vomit. The crushed bodies of a dozen or more children lay sprawled out, their blood soaking the ground. The only consolation was that they must have died instantly.

There was no time for the Mages to grieve, however, as another Lightning attack was sent their way. Dodging it again, they flew towards the army of beasts and animals, rage consuming them. Swiping sharp stones off of the ground, they seemed to almost go berserk, stabbing the stones into each beast and animal they encountered. It didn't matter to them that they weren't supposed to be able to kill Spirit Animals, all that mattered was getting revenge. That seemed to be enough, though, as even Spirit Animals died at their touch. It also didn't hurt that the dragon kept shooting Lightning into its own ranks.

It took them less than ten minutes to decimate the ranks of beasts and animals from a few dozen to just a few. It was amazing what a little blood rage could do. They felt no regret because, as far as they were concerned, the beasts and animals deserved it for killing those helpless children.

They had just finished off a group of weaker dragons, when Karina's dragon let loose another attack, this one headed for another area in the grove. Takeru gasped in shock and horror...it was heading straight for where the remaining children were hiding! They couldn't let it hit!

"No!" he cried somewhat weakly as he took off for top speed towards the attack.

Katya was confused at first, not having the ability to sense the presence of others, but she quickly caught on. A shocked look came over her face and she immediately followed Takeru as quickly as she could.

Takeru continued to try to catch up to the front of the attack. The rational part of his mind told him that he didn't have a chance, but he was not about to give up. He was so close, just a few more yards and he could do something to stop it, even if that something was taking the hit himself. Closer and closer he got, just one more yard. But, before he could get any closer, he began to fall behind. He hadn't noticed until then, but his wing had been more heavily damaged than he had previously thought and it was now inhibiting his ability to fly.

However, he still wasn't going to give up. Pushing the pain out of his mind, he forced his wing to work. He began to gain on the energy again. He was so close, he could almost touch the front of it. But, he wasn't close enough. With absolute horror, he and Katya watched as the attack blasted through the childrens' hiding place..

When it was over, Takeru desperately sent out a mental probe, searching for any survivors. He found none. Beside him, Katya was watching him anxiously, hoping for a good sign. Sighing deeply, he shook his head slightly. Katya's mouth hung open slightly, unbelieving, and a tear slipped down her cheek. All those children...those innocent children...they had died because of Karina and her damn dragon. They had to pay!

Grabbing another sharp stone, Katya spun around and charged the dragon, tears still in her eyes. Takeru turned too and followed her, grabbing his own sharp stone.

Letting out a cry of rage and sorrow, Katya dodged the dragon's attacks, getting closer and closer. It seemed as though she was even more berserk than before. Raising her hand high, she drove the stone into the dragon's fleshy neck, creating a large river of blood flowing down the body. The dragon began to wheeze and gag. However, when Takeru moved in and struck, it fell completely silent and collapsed to the side, blood still flowing from its neck.

Now slightly covered in blood, the two Mages turned their attentions to the remaining beasts and animals. They met very little resistance, and had killed the rest of the group swiftly in just a moment or two.

Dropping the blood covered rocks on the ground, they fell to their hands and knees. Silent tears of frustration and anger ran down their cheeks. After taking a minute or two to get a hold of themselves again, they flew back towards the portal leading from Paradise to Hiata. They tried not to look back at the bloody grove.

When they passed through the portal, the first thing they saw was the last two Caelons falling to the ground and Karina preparing to attack the Elementals. They noticed that the old man hadn't noticed them yet. This could be their best chance.

Still reeling from what had happened in the Caelon's Paradise, they swooped to the ground, flying low to be unnoticed. As they flew, they each grabbed a dagger from one of the fallen soldiers. They tried not to be fazed when they flew past the dead Caelon.

When they were just a bit past where the old man and Karina were, they darted upwards sharply, intent on killing both of the Abbey members. Usually, they would rather just capture them and not kill, but they were too consumed by the need for revenge for the Caelon warriors and children to think like that.

Coming up behind the old man quickly from behind, they plunged their daggers into his back, killing him instantly. The book fell harmlessly to the ground. The Elementals used this distraction to attack Karina, tackling her, all three of them landing on the ground. The Mages joined them and they surrounded the Fate Mage. They all raised their hands, about to call upon their meager amounts of energy to complete the revenge when Karina lowered her hands and looked up at them.

"Mercy," she stated calmly.

Hiroki faltered and lowered his hand slightly. "What?"

"I am asking you for mercy," Karina restated sincerely. "I am out numbered, out matched, and heave no way of protecting myself because it seems that my not-so-loyal ward, Tejuku, has abandoned me. Therefore, I beg mercy from the great Guardians."

Katya, Hikari, and Hiroki all looked to Takeru for the answer. While they all wanted to kill her, Takeru would make the final decision. Internally, Takeru was fighting with himself. It was Karina's dragon under Karina's orders who had killed the Caelon children. And it was Karina who had ordered Tejuku to try to kill them several times over. Yet...to kill someone who was helpless and had begged for mercy...even if that someone was Karina...well, that would make them just as bad as Karina. The killing they had done before was all necessary, those beings had been direct threats to Hiata...but Karina was a threat to no one now.

Sighing slightly, Takeru stared Karina in the eyes. "There has been enough killing today so we will let you live, but you shall be stripped of your power so that you may never harm another person again."

Karina remained silent, just staring up at him.

The four raised their hands again and instinctively delved inside the mind of Karina and searched for her energy. It didn't take long to find its peak, the long part was finding its bottom. They were extremely relieved to find that she had no Crystal, it would make it so much harder if she did.

Making sure not to kill her, though they _were _tempted to be careless, they drained her power, absorbing it themselves before dispersing it into the atmosphere; none of them wanted to keep any of it. After a few minutes, Karina's well of power was dry.

Returning completely to their own bodies, they saw that Karina had collapsed from lack of energy. She was still breathing though...unfortunately, Hiroki thought bitterly.

They looked up sharply as it suddenly began to rain heavily, washing all of the blood and dirt away. It was as if Hiata itself was crying for the loss of its Caelon...its angels.

As the rain continued to fall, the Guardians became acutely aware of their exhaustion. Reverting back to their human forms, they swayed and collapsed almost as one. The last conscious images in their minds were the dead faces of all of the Caelon. They knew it was one sight they would never forget, no matter how much they wanted to.


	25. Preparing for the final battle

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

A/N: it was pointed out to me that some people may not exactly remember what the Caelon were, so they may have been a little lost in the last chapter. Basically, the Caelon are a magical race that look like angels. They watch over the Guardians, especially the Elementals. Before the last chapter, there were only eight adults, and many children as Isan had nearly wiped them out last time. Now, they are extinct.

As Takeru came to consciousness, the first thing he noticed was Rage's comforting presence right next to him. Upon a little further investigation, he found that his other wolves were around him as well. There was also one other person around, familiar feeling, but Takeru couldn't place him.

Slowly opening his eyes, Takeru searched for the strange person. He didn't have to search for long as a tired face suddenly blocked his view.

"Father?" he croaked, throat dry, as he tried to push himself up.

He then became aware that he was in a soft feathery bed in a familiar room. He was at Kelmio's Castle Shuuko. Rage was next to the bed and his other wolves were scattered throughout the room. His attention returned to BlackWolf as the elder man held him down, preventing him from sitting.

"Rest," the elder ordered.

Blindly, Takeru shook his head and pushed BlackWolf's hands away. With some effort, he was able to get into an upright position. Looking out the window, he noticed that it was probably late afternoon.

As he continued looking out the window, the events with the Abbey and the Caelon came rushing back to him. He could see the dead faces, the blood. He remembered with a pang of guilt how he and the other Guardians had killed so many. It wasn't in their nature, they had just lost it when the Caelon had all been murdered. Did this lapse in judgement and reason mean that they were not suited to be Guardians? If they had gone berserk once, wasn't there always the possibility that it could happen again?

"Are you alright, young one?" BlackWolf asked softly.

Takeru jolted back to reality and looked over, not answering. Then, he asked a question himself.

"Where are the others?"

"Resting," BlackWolf replied vaguely. "As you should be."

"How long has it been since..." he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence as his airway constricted.

BlackWolf frowned and brushed some limp hair away from Takeru's face, showing almost an uncharacteristic amount of gentleness.

'_He's probably afraid I'll snap again,' _Takeru thought bitterly, while looking at his father for the answer.

"Just over a week," BlackWolf replied quietly. "You're luckier than Hiroki, though," he added lightly, trying to get away from the somber mood.

"How so?" Takeru asked, eyes narrowed. The last thing he wanted was for one of his friends to be even more seriously injured than he was.

"Oh, it's nothing too bad," BlackWolf assured. "It's just that it was his time to pay for his Life Force Crystal. Completely wiped him out, even more than the rest of you. He woke up a bit earlier, but he's fast asleep now."

"Why did it take me so long to wake up when Hiroki, who had to not only heal, but give a majority of his energy to the Portal of Death, already woke?"

"You woke," BlackWolf replied quickly. "You all did, you just don't remember. Even Hiroki won't remember having woken today. The Watcher said that your minds and souls needed to heal at least a little before your bodies could awaken completely."

"Then I don't know why I'm awake," Takeru muttered. "I don't feel healed."

"You four have been through a lot. What happened in this last battle was a great shock to you, that much is easy to tell."

"Did I say anything to you when I was awake earlier?" Takeru asked softly, almost ashamed that he couldn't remember.

BlackWolf tilted his head as he gave a small nod. "Not much, but you kept asking for Yamato. You got very quiet whenever we told you that we didn't know who it was that you wanted."

Takeru bit his lip slightly, acknowledging the unasked question. "He's my older brother. On Earth, I mean," he added quickly, seeing the elder's confused expression. "He-he always used to take care of me when I was hurt, I guess that's why I kept asking for him."

Takeru fell silent, wishing that his thoughts hadn't been drawn to his onii-san. He was having a hard enough time not becoming depressed, he didn't need any more sorrow on his mind right now. He sighed deeply internally and turned to look out the window again. He barely moved as he felt Rage nuzzle his hand comfortingly. Softly, he stroked the beast's head.

/You will be alright, Takeru./ Rage assured, trying to convince both of them.

Takeru nodded slightly. /I hope so. Tell, me, have you seen any of the others/

/We have not left your side, but Akio comes when Alitea allows. He says that the others sleep, like you./

/I think I'd like to see Katya, will you help me/

Rage's fur bristled in alarm. /You are not well enough to go anywhere./

/If you carry me, it will be no different than if I stay in this bed./ Takeru insisted.

Rage hesitated. /What of BlackWolf? He will not allow you to leave./

/I will not give him a choice in the matter/ Takeru replied bluntly. /Now, will you take me, or shall I try to walk there on my own/

/I will take you Takeru/ Rage replied sullenly, going against his better judgement.

Nodding, Takeru turned to BlackWolf. "I am going to see Katya now."

BlackWolf narrowed his eyes. "You most certainly are not."

"I am," Takeru replied persistently. "Rage has agreed to take me."

BlackWolf glared at Rage, who cowered a little under his former master's stare. Then, BlackWolf's glare switched to his stubborn ward. The two had a staring contest, each waiting for the other to back down. After a few minutes, BlackWolf sighed and looked away.

"You are the most stubborn brat I have ever met," he stated wearily.

"Do I remind you of yourself?" Takeru asked cheekily, though there was no laughter in his eyes.

Sighing again, BlackWolf pulled back the covers over Takeru and scooped the boy up, surprising the younger.

"Come here, rascal," he called to Rage.

Rage stiffened a bit at being called a rascal, but he obeyed. He stood still as Takeru was placed on his back gently.

"Let's go see Katya now. Then, you have to come back and rest, understand?"

Takeru nodded, accepting the compromise. Then, with BlackWolf keeping a protective hand on Takeru's back to keep him from falling, the three walked out into the hall. They turned to the left and walked down several yards before reaching another door. As they walked in, Takeru saw WhiteLioness and the lionesses clustered around a bed. In that bed was the slightly pale form of Katya. She appeared to be sleeping. WhiteLioness turned and stood when they walked in.

"Takeru, I am so glad to see that you are awake," she greeted graciously before her tone saddened. "I'm afraid that Katya has yet to completely wake."

"May I sit with her for a while?" Takeru asked softly, not taking his eyes from the bed.

BlackWolf and WhiteLioness exchanged quick glances before nodding.

"No more than fifteen minutes," BlackWolf said as he walked towards the door, "You are weak enough as it is without over-exerting yourself."

Takeru gave a brief nod of recognition as the two adults left the room and closed the door. He slowly slid himself off of Rage and onto the side of the bed. Rage laid down at his feet. Takeru gently took one of Katya's hands and held it.

"I suppose you're the smarter one, out of the two of us," he started quietly. "You know that it's better to just stay asleep and forget, than to wake up and remember. But, we'll all have to wake up soon, and fight against Isan and Shaukaka and Tejuku and the three others. I know that they will all be difficult battles to win, but together we can do it."

He paused before continuing. "I need you here to help me Katya. I'm supposed to be the leader, but I need you guys more than you need me. I especially need you. You're my best friend...my lover. I can't do this without you."

He fell silent and looked at the ground. Suddenly, a voice that was music to his ears was softly heard.

"And you won't have to do it without me, because I'll always be right by you."

He snapped his head up and looked in surprise at the now-awake figure on the bed. She looked back serenely.

"Katya, you're awake!" he exclaimed quietly.

"Yeah," she replied softly, trying to sit up.

Takeru quickly helped her. "How do you feel?" he asked anxiously.

"Physically, not too bad. Mentally and emotionally...that's another story."

"I know what you mean," he murmured so that only she could hear.

They sat in silence for a moment before Katya shifted to rest on Takeru's chest, hands on his shoulders lightly.

"Did you mean it?" she asked after a few more silent minutes. "Do you really need me?"

"More than anything," he whispered in her ear.

At this, Katya pushed back. "No," she protested quietly. "Not more than anything."

"What?" Takeru asked, startled.

"If you needed me more than anything, than you wouldn't need to go back to Earth," she replied with some bitterness in her voice.

Takeru sighed, and placed his hands on Katya's shoulders, making her look at him. Deciding that actions would speak louder than words, he leaned in and gave her a long kiss. Now sure that he had her complete attention, he spoke.

"Katya, you will always mean the world to me, but you know as well as I do that I don't belong on Hiata. I was born on Earth, my home is there, my _family _is there. They need me."

"_I_ need you," Katya protested, voice thick. "When you're gone, I'll have no one."

"What about Akio?" Takeru reminded her gently. "He needs his Mama."

"He needs his Papa too!" was the outburst before tears trickled down her face.

"Katya..." Takeru sighed, why was life always so difficult? How could he explain to Katya, and Akio as well, that he would have to leave them soon?

Not sure what to say, he simply held Katya as she cried. He wasn't sure if this outburst was because of the trauma of the last fight, or if she had been holding it in since before that. Either way, this matter had to be resolved. After a few minutes, Katya composed herself and sat back.

"I'm sorry Keru," she apologized softly. "I know you have to go, but I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what, lover?" he asked, gently brushing tears off of her face.

"I'm afraid I'll never see you again, I'm afraid of being alone," was the hushed reply, tears building up in the corners of her eyes again.

"What does your heart tell you, Katya? Does it tell you that we'll see each other again?"

She paused, sniffling. Then, she nodded. "I hope so."

"That's all you need to do, trust me, I know a thing or two about hope."

She smiled weakly up at him before nodding again. "I trust you."

Takeru allowed himself a small smile as she yawned. "You should get some sleep, I think I've exhausted you. If you want, I can stay with you awhile," he promised, forgetting his father's fifteen minute rule.

Nodding a third time, Katya let Takeru lay her back down before he settled next to her. Each contented, and forgetting briefly about what had happened with the Caelon, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

/o-o/

Three days later, all of the Guardians and former Guardians sat together near a cozy fire. It was the first time that all of the younger Guardians had seen one another together, and it was the first time that Miyo and Akio had seen their care givers awake. Now, Akio was cuddled in Katya's lap, and Miyo was nestled in Hikari's.

It was ScorchingFlame who broke the silence of this gathering.

"What will you do now?" he asked, not wanting to bring up the topic of more fighting, but knowing that it really couldn't wait much longer.

"We're not sure," Takeru replied softly when no one else did.

"You will have to face Isan soon, and Tejuku and the other three children as well," EvenBreeze reminded gently.

"We know," Katya stated quietly. "But we don't know if we can."

The elders stayed silent, waiting to see if she or one of the others would continue. While they knew what had happened, and knew that their wards were in shock, they had never heard it from the teenagers' lips how they felt.

"What if it happens again?" Hikari continued after a brief moment. "What if we fail again?"

"You didn't fail daughter," EvenBreeze soothed. "You defeated the Abbey. The Caelon chose to help you, it was not your fault that they were killed."

"We were supposed to protect them, but instead they died protecting _us_!" Hiroki burst out suddenly. "How is it not our fault!"

The silence of the other teenagers signaled that they felt the same way. At that moment, Reverend Kelmio, Alitea, and a shadowed figure walked in. The group in the room looked at the cloaked figure curiously. The figure's thin hands then emerged from the sleeves of the cloak and pulled back the hood.

"Meersa!" the four teens exclaimed as one.

Meersa smiled slightly at them. "You're finally awake, took you long enough," she stated rudely.

"Same old Meersa," Katya sighed, not unhappily.

"Now that you _are _awake," Meersa stated, as if she hadn't heard Katya. "You need to snap out of it and start gathering your army together for the final battle between Isan and you."

"It'll be harder without Larin's forces," Hikari commented softly after a few seconds.

"Who said you didn't have Larin's forces?" Meersa asked, still in a slightly rude tone.

"But," Hiroki started in a confused tone, anger from before forgotten, "He was working with Karina and the Abbey, now that we have defeated his partners, why would he help us?"

"Because he knows nothing of the Abbey," Meersa stated as though it was common knowledge.

"And how do you know that?" Hiroki retaliated, offended by her patronizing tone.

"The Watcher told me," was the tart reply, as she gestured with her hand at Kelmio.

"Reverend Kelmio, _you're _the Watcher?" Hikari asked, dumbfounded.

"Did I forget to mention that?" he asked innocently.

Takeru inwardly rolled his eyes at the exchange, not too surprised that Kelmio was more than he had at first seemed.

"Well, then who is Alitea, _really_?" Katya asked.

"I'm his daughter," Alitea replied. "Like him, I am immortal. I assist him in his task."

"And that task would be..." Hikari waited for someone to fill in the blank.

"Collecting information and recording history," Kelmio replied. "I keep the records of Hiata's history and I know most, if not all, of what happens."

"What can you tell us about Larin?" Takeru asked suddenly.

Reverend Kelmio turned a kind eye towards him.

"As I told Meersa, he knows nothing of the Abbey. To him, Karina was a pawn, a rich Mage whose power he could use to advance himself. He had no idea that it was _he _that was being used. He still doesn't."

"What happened to Karina?" Katya asked. The last thing she remembered was seeing Karina passed out on the ground after they had stripped her of her power.

"She is imprisoned," Alitea replied. "In a place where she has no influence and has no way to contact anyone in the outside world. She is harmless now, especially since you removed her powers."

The Guardians nodded, feeling just a little happier because of this news. At least they had done _one _thing right when fighting the Abbey. But now, they had an even larger fight on their hands. One that none of them wanted to fight, one that they all were scared to fight, but one that they all knew they had to fight. Takeru was the first to accept it as he stood and turned to Kelmio, solemn look on his face.

"How far is Larin's keep from here?" he asked.

"Without a transport spell, it would be a two week's walk, or six days' ride."

"How long with a transport spell?"

"An hour or two."

Takeru nodded, thinking over this information. Then he spoke again.

"And how far to Denzo's city?"

"Just a couple days ride, if you don't rest at night."

"The Faerie village?"

"The same distance, just in another direction."

"Will the Nymphs and Druids fight with us?"

"If you can convince them that you and your cause are worthy of their support."

"How large is Isan's army?"

"He has approximately three dozen Mages, fifteen dozen humans, eight dozen Elementals, and countless Shadowlore, some strong, some weak."

Takeru fell silent before muttering out loud to himself. "Our own army consists of the four of us, our twenty-two Beasts and Animals, Denzo and Siara and their twenty spiders, Larin's few hundred soldiers, the warriors of the Faerie village, and the Nymphs and Druids if we can convince them."

"Don't forget about us," BlackWolf stated. "We may have lost our magical powers, but we can still fight hand-to-hand."

"I will help as well," Meersa stated.

Takeru nodded in recognition before falling into his authoritative role. "We shall send one wolf and one lioness to collect Denzo and Siara and bring them here. Either Whisper or Fury will alert the Faerie village that we need their promised help. We shall go see Larin ourselves and tell him that it is time for battle. Since we cannot use a transport spell to move all of his soldiers and equipment, we will use that two week span that they will need to try to convince the Nymphs and Druids to help us. Perhaps we could even find some humans who will rally to our cause. If all goes according to plan, and Isan doesn't try anything, the final battle will be two-and-a-half to three weeks from today. Does everyone understand?"

All people in the room nodded.

"What will you do with us, Papa?" Akio asked, going to the elder boy's side.

Before Takeru could reply, Kelmio answered. "You two will be on the battlefield as well, you will give us a great advantage."

"_What_?" Hiroki asked sharply. "You expect us to subject these children to an all out battle?"

"You will need them to win," Kelmio replied, tone still patient. "They are important weapons."

"What do you mean?" Katya asked in a warning tone, protective motherly instinct kicking in.

"Haven't you wondered why everyone is after them?"

The Guardians stayed silent, tensely waiting for him to continue, hoping to get the answer to the question that they had indeed asked themselves many times. Kelmio tilted his head before continuing.

"Well, perhaps I should start by explaining why they have always thought of you as their parents. You see, your four powers, Shadow, Light, Wind, and Fire, are the basis of Hiata. It is true that Earth and Water are important as well, but you Elementals can manipulate them by using your powers so, in essence, they are of minute relevance compared to you." he paused again before continuing.

"Since you four _are _Hiata, any given thing in this world is yours to command, and everything born from it is a result of your being. You are the indirect 'parents' of Hiata's population, for lack of better terminology, and you are the direct parents of Miyo and Akio. Does any of this make sense?" he asked, seeing their confused expressions. "If not, just think about it, and I'm sure the answer will come to you."

The Guardians sat silently, pondering over Kelmio's very confusing words. They just didn't make any sense whatsoever. How could they be the parents of Akio and Miyo if the two had already been born when they found them? They could understand being the indirect parents of Hiata's population, but wouldn't that make them the indirect parents of Akio and Miyo as well? There was no way that they were the direct parents of Miyo and Akio unless...suddenly, it all made sense to Hikari.

"They're the Keys," she stated quietly. "Miyo and Akio are the Keys."

The other three Guardians looked at her sharply, digesting what she had just said. It made sense, when they thought about it. Since the Keys were living incarnations of Hiata, and the Guardians were the parents of Hiata, then they would be the parents of Miyo and Akio. It was said that the Keys had great powers, but could not control them, and both Akio and Miyo had shown signs of that. They looked to Kelmio for confirmation.

He nodded. Then, he gestured for the two small Keys to come over to him. They obeyed. Kelmio picked up Akio as Alitea held Miyo. Meersa stood in the background silently.

"This child," Kelmio started, talking about Akio, "has the power of Creation. That is how the water turned to blood tonic when Takeru was hurt. He also created your Life Force Crystals. And this child," he continued, looking at Miyo, "has the power of Destruction. That is how she obliterated those Jackals and called upon all of that energy when you were in Hiroki's village. These powers usually flare up when the children become afraid, but can appear any time they are needed."

"Will they appear when we are in battle, then?" Takeru asked, walking slightly towards Akio and Kelmio.

"We can only wait and see," Kelmio replied vaguely, shifting Akio.

The boy reached out and Takeru took him into his arms. Akio was still incredibly light for a six-year-old. From Alitea's arms, Miyo reached towards him as well. Taking the small girl, he smiled slightly as they both yawned simultaneously and rested their heads on his shoulders.

/Tempest/ he called softly, feeling the wolf's presence right outside of the room.

/Yes/

/I shall need you to take Miyo and Akio to a room to sleep, and watch over them. We have a lot of work to do in the next two weeks, and I want to make sure that they are safely guarded until the final battle./

/Yes Takeru/ Tempest replied, coming into the room.

She stood still as the peaceful sleeping twins were placed on her back. Then, she silently slipped out of the room to do as Takeru had bid. When she was gone, Takeru turned to the others.

"Let's get started, we have no time to lose."

/o-o/

Later in the day, after having concocted a transport spell strong enough to transport the four Guardians, the four previous Guardians, two wolves and two lionesses, the group stood outside the gate to Larin's Keep. They had not been noticed by the guards yet; that, or they were being ignored.

Finally fed up after another ten silent minutes, Hiroki shouted towards the guard tower.

"Hey, you! Let us in already! We've been waiting patiently, and now our patience is gone, so you'd better open up!"

A lone guard appeared. "Who be you?" he called down warily.

"We're the Guardians," Hikari called back, trying not to get too fed up with this man. "Open the gate!"

The guard frowned, "I'll have to check with Prince Larin, but he has very important matters to attend to, so it may be awhile before he can see to you children and your pets."

"Last chance," Hiroki growled in reply. "Open. The. Damn. Gate."

"I told you, I have to check with Prince Larin," was the exasperated reply.

Having had enough of this, the Guardians transformed into their true forms and flew over the wall, landing next to the guard.

"We were trying to be civil, but we have no time for your games," Takeru stated quietly. "Larin will see us _now_. And you will open the gate for our Shadow Beasts."

"I can't do that," the guard protested, trying not to show fear.

"Then we will open it for you," Katya threatened.

The guard's eyes darted around nervously before he finally resigned. Looking over the edge of the wall into the courtyard of the keep, he called down to a pair of guards, "Open the gate!"

Confused, the guards below did as they were told. They jumped back in fright as Frenzy, Poison, Devotion, and Purity ran across the drawbridge, low rumbling coming from their throats. It was clear that they were pissed off. Behind them, the former Guardians walked in as well. Glaring one last time at the guard, the four present Guardians nimbly glided down to land beside their parents.

"You," Takeru said briskly to a guard. "Fetch Prince Larin at once. Tell him that the Guardians are waiting in the library and it would be in his best interests not to keep them waiting for long."

The guard looked like he was about to protest, but one look at the growling Poison changed his mind. Nodding jerkily, he hurried off.

Paying no mind to all of the people watching them with both interest and fear, the group of twelve stalked to the library on the second floor. They knew time was wasting away, time that they couldn't afford to lose.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that Larin made his appearance, chief advisor at his side. He threw open the library doors with a loud clang and glared at the Guardians.

"What is so important that you had to interrupt my Council?" he demanded angrily before looking at the former Guardians. "And who the hell are they?"

"They are Keir, Elani, Edan, and Aira," Takeru answered, pointing to BlackWolf, WhiteLioness, ScorchingFlame, and EvenBreeze respectively.

"You didn't answer my first question," Larin all but growled. "Why did I have to delay a very important Council meeting? Hopefully it wasn't just so you could introduce your friends."

"No, actually," Takeru replied, tone of voice mimicking Larin's. "We came to tell you that the final battle shall be less than three weeks from today. It will take your soldiers two weeks to march to where we are gathering our army. I trust that you still want to fight in this battle?"

"Of course my troops will fight," Larin stated, returning to his arrogant self. "After all, where would you be without them?"

"One can only wonder," Hiroki muttered, not loud enough for Larin to hear.

Takeru shot him a warning glance before returning his attention to Larin.

"These four Shadow Beasts will be your guides to the meeting place," Takeru continued. "A warning to you, should you or your soldiers try to harm them in any way whatsoever, you will face our wrath. They are not dumb animals, Larin, they are as intelligent as any person on this planet, if not more so, and you'd do well to remember that."

Larin waved off the warning with a careless flick of his wrist. "Yes, yes, be kind to the animals, I understand. Now, if you are quite finished, I have important matters to be getting to. After all, I will be King in just three short weeks."

"Then pray you are a better King than a Prince," Hikari muttered sharply. Luckily, Larin did not hear this muttering either.

Giving Larin one last warning glance, Takeru decided that it was time to leave, thankfully. Moving quickly, he walked past Larin, "accidentally" bumping into him somewhat hard. The others followed suit.

Larin glared after them. His chief advisor looked at him curiously.

"Sire, why do you put up with their impudence?"

"Because," Larin replied, "they are going to get me the crown. Once they accomplish that, _then_ I will take action to make sure I get the respect I deserve, one way or another."

/o-o/

About four days after they returned from Larin's keep, the first members of their army began to arrive. Denzo and Siara were the first. The Guardians watched them come closer on the horizon, the two vampires riding Apocalypse and Bliss, their spiders scurrying behind. The spider army looked larger than before. They then noticed that behind each vampire, there was another figure.

/Apocalypse, who are the other people/ Takeru asked quickly.

/They are Rhianna and Kito, cousins of Denzo and Siara who wish to fight. They have spiders as well./

/What are their powers/

/I'm not sure, but Rhianna's are very similar to Siara's, and Kito's are very similar to Denzo's because they are related./

/I see. Katya and I shall be out to meet you shortly./

With that, Takeru cut the connection and called for Rage to meet him at the front gate. When he reached the gate, he noticed that Katya and Star were just arriving as well. It seemed that Katya had had a conversation with Bliss and was just as anxious as Takeru to meet these newcomers. Riding out quickly, they set their sights on the group coming towards them.

Suddenly, Takeru felt a weight behind him on Rage. Knowing not to panic, he quickly turned and found that his father had decided to hitch a ride.

"Father, what are you doing?"

"We wanted to meet these vampires too."

'_We?' _Takeru questioned to himself. His question was answered when he glanced over at Katya and saw that EvenBreeze had landed behind Katya. He shook his head, those two were almost as stubborn as he and Katya were.

Even with the extra weight, it only took the group of six about a minute to cover the two miles in-between them and the vampires' group. The group then moved to trot beside the vampires.

"It's good to see you two again," Katya greeted Siara and Denzo. "And it is nice to meet Rhianna and Kito."

Rhianna and Kito looked slightly surprised that she knew who they were, but it soon struck them that she had simply communicated with her lioness. While Katya, Siara, Kito, and Rhianna traded pleasantries and got to know each other a little better, Takeru and Denzo got right down to business.

"Who are those two?" Denzo asked Takeru, skipping a greeting, not that Takeru minded.

"This is my father, Keir, also known as BlackWolf. That is Katya's mother, Elani, also known as WhiteLioness."

Denzo nodded, not seeming affected that he had just been introduced to two long-dead people. There were many important things to do, there was no time to be surprised at anything.

"What are Isan's movements?" was Denzo's next question.

Takeru frowned. "He has been fairly quiet lately. The last movement from him was a couple months ago, we haven't heard from him since, but we expect him to move soon, as he will no doubt hear of us gathering an army."

Denzo nodded again. "What does your army consist of?"

Well, everyone here, the other two Guardians, their Spirit Animals, and their parents. The two Keys of Hiata, a very powerful witch named Meersa, a group of Faerie warriors and spell-casters, a few hundred soldiers from Prince Larin, and the Nymphs and Druids if they can be convinced."

"And Isan's army?"

"Three dozen Mages, fifteen dozen humans, eight dozen Elementals, and countless Shadowlore."

"In other words, when it comes to numbers, we're the underdogs, but when it comes to power, we're equally matched. ...Wait, did you say the _Keys_?"

Takeru nodded. "You already met one, Akio. The other is his twin Miyo."

"Wow," Denzo stated quietly. "I didn't know the little guy had it in him."

"Neither did we, but that's beside the point. What matters is that he is the Key, and he's on our side."

"Agreed. Now, what is the next task you must accomplish before you are ready to fight?"

"We must convince the Nymphs and Druids to fight alongside us."

"And how will you do that?"

Takeru sighed. "I have no idea."

/o-o/

It wasn't until two days later that a course of action was decided on. After much deliberation, it seemed that the best way to convince the peaceful Nymphs and Druids to fight would be to have the two Elementals speak to them together, with some of the Faeries present. That way, they would see that other magical Earth creatures had found the cause worthy, so perhaps their opinion could be swayed by that.

Later that day, the head of the Faerie spell-casters was sent into the woods to gather the leaders of the Nymphs and Druids. Hopefully, the leaders would agree to meet with them today. All they could do was wait anxiously for the Faerie to return. To pass the time, they spared.

Denzo and Takeru were in the middle of such a spar when Akio came running up, out of breath

"The Faerie's back!" he called excitedly. "Come quick!"

Not wasting a second, the two sheathed their weapons and darted after the boy. They ran into Hikari and Hiroki coming down the stairs quickly.

"Well?" Takeru asked them nervously.

Hikari smiled. "They have agreed to give us an audience immediately. They will decide on their course of action then and there."

Takeru sighed in relief, at least they had gotten this far. "Good luck you two," he encouraged as the Elementals began walking again, anxious to get to the meeting place. "We're counting on you."

/o-o/

About fifteen minutes later, the two Elementals and two Faeries approached the clearing where the meeting was to be held. They could already hear the murmurings amidst the hush of the forest. Walking into the clearing, they were met with dozens of Nymphs and Druids looking intently at them. Trying to keep their confidence, they approached the tow who were obviously the leaders. These two were sitting in throne like chairs, one seemingly made from water, the other from roots.

The woman in the water chair was by far the most beautiful of the Nymphs. Her pale blue skin seemed to glow in the twilight, casting eerie light around her. Her dark blue hair was partially swept up, one side held with a pale blue flower. The rest of her hair hung down her back, showing off its sheen. She was dressed in a gorgeous blue tunic which was decorated with the same kind of flower that was in her hair. She sat up straight and looked down at the children with dignified kindness.

The woman in the earth chair was also stunningly beautiful. Her honey skin seemed flawless to all around, and even seemed to glow like the skin of the Nymph Queen. Her brown hair curled down her back, slight vines with blooming flowers intertwined in the silky locks. She wore a simple brown/green tunic, but made it seem like the finest dress in any land. She too looked down at them with regal benevolence

"Elemental Guardians, we were told you wished to have an audience with us regarding this war," the Nymph Queen started in a sweet but powerful voice. "We will let you present your argument and we will then make our decision."

Beside her, the Druid Queen nodded slightly to show her agreement. Hikari took a deep breath and stepped forward, trying not to seem intimidated.

"Your Excellencies," she started, voice strong as well. "As I am sure you are aware, the evil Lord Isan has been plotting for many years to take over all of Hiata, destroying all whom he believes may present a threat later on. The previous Guardians were able to halt his progress by destroying his Chaos Stone, but in doing that, they destroyed themselves, and could not completely defeat Isan. Now, he has created another Chaos Stone and it has fallen to us, the new Guardians, to stop him once and for all." She paused and Hiroki took over.

"However, we cannot complete this task alone by any stretch of the imagination. We have already obtained several allies in this fight, the Faeries for example, but we fear it still may not be enough. If we do fail, than Hiata will fall, almost everything and everyone will be destroyed for Isan's sick pleasure, including the forests and rivers. That is why we are here now, asking...no, begging for your help in defeating this tyrant."

He fell silent and the two held their breaths, waiting for the response. The two Queens were silent for a moment. Then, the Druid Queen spoke.

"What will happen to Hiata if you succeed? Who will rule?"

"Prince Larin is next in line for Hiata's throne. We admit that he is not completely fit to be a ruler, but he will be better than Isan, and we will be able to keep a close watch over him to make sure that he does not become corrupt," Hikari answered.

More silence from the Queens followed, and the entire clearing seemed to be holding its breath. After several excruciating silent minutes, they spoke.

"After carefully weighing the options and considering the consequences of each," the Nymph Queen started, "I have come to the decision that the Nymphs will assist you."

"The Druids as well," the Druid Queen replied. "But there is a condition. When this war is over, all of the forests will belong to the Druids, and all of the waters will belong to the Nymphs. We will allow beings to inhabit them, so long as they do nothing to harm them or us. Should they attempt to do harm, we will be allowed to do with them what we wish. Agreed?"

The two Guardians were still slightly reeling from the good news, but Hiroki quickly pulled himself together and nodded. "Agreed."

The two Queens smiled. "Good," The Nymph Queen said. "Our armies will gather at the Watcher's Castle in three day's time."

Recognizing the cue to leave, the two Elementals bowed their heads in thanks once again before turning and leaving the clearing. Now that that was over, all they had to worry about was winning the actual battle.

They sighed. If only it was a easy as it sounded.

A/N: only a chapter or two left, and then it will be done;)


	26. Final battle and a great farewell

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured out that I don't own digimon by now...

A/N: I know the last chapter wasn't the best, but I still wish someone had reviewed, if only to tell me what I could fix. Even though no one reviewed, I decided to just go ahead andcontinue the story, since it was so near completion. Now, please enjoy this chapter of The Guardians of Hiata, and if you don't, please tell me why.

A low rumbling filled the sky as the two armies stared each other down from separate sides of the battlefield.

Takeru had been right in what he'd said to Denzo about Isan; only a day after Larin's soldiers arrived, Isan's made their appearance. Clearly, they wanted to get this over with quickly, before the Guardians' army had time to train together. While this put the good side at a slight disadvantage, the Guardians believed that it could be overcome.

Surveying the other army, Takeru was glad to see that Tejuku was not _exactly _like RedCoyote and had not chosen to side with Isan in order to get his revenge. Or, if he _had_ joined Isan's ranks, Takeru could neither see nor sense him.

"How long is this standoff going to last?" Denzo asked Takeru quietly, both atop a wolf. So far, they had been simply staring at each other for twenty minutes.

Rage shifted slightly under Takeru as his master answered. "I'm not sure, but we're going to let them make the first move."

"That could take forever," Denzo sighed under his breath.

However, Takeru heard. He looked over seriously. "We're here to stop a war Denzo, not to start one."

Matching Takeru's seriousness, Denzo nodded in reply. Still, though, he wished _something _would happen soon. Beneath him, Tempest seemed to mirror his anxiousness at wanting a battle. Suddenly, Denzo turned his head slightly as Rage stealthily slipped away, carrying Takeru towards Hikari.

"Were our assumptions about their army correct?" he asked the Wind Elemental.

Hikari's second-sight-colored eyes turned to focus on him. "Yes, the numbers for Mages, Elementals, and humans are what we estimated, and there are about two hundred Shadowlore. Have you finished your analysis of their powers?"

Takeru nodded slightly, focusing on the horizon behind the opposing army. "Most of their magical fighters are of average strength, with a couple dozen or so who may stand a chance against us. The humans are fairly skilled with weapons but should not pose much of threat. All in all, we're equal, as we had suspected." The two fell silent again.

Suddenly, Hiroki came over. "They're moving," he said quietly.

Looking over, they saw that Isan's forces were indeed making some kind of move. The archers in the front were shouldering their quivers and testing their bow strings. The creatures with wings were stretching and testing them as well. Obviously, they planned to launch an aerial assault soon.

"Make sure everyone is ready," Takeru said to Hiroki softly as he drew his swords and set them across his lap.

Hiroki nodded, hand resting on the top of one of his axes, as he walked off quickly, making sure that the soldiers had not decided to relax after having to stand still for nearly half an hour. As he had expected, many of Larin's forces were laughing and playing cards, completely off guard; exactly the people they _didn't _need on their side. Wanting to make a point, he drew an axe before he was noticed. Pulling his hand back, he threw it, embedding it in a tree trunk less than a foot from some of the mens' heads.

The terrified men, thinking that they were being attacked, jumped up and grabbed their shields and weapons. Then, they saw the young teenager. Hiroki ignored their glares he received as he walked up to the tree and pulled his axe free effortlessly.

"If I had been the enemy, you would all be dead," he said coldly. "Count yourselves lucky that I'm an ally. Now, prepare for battle, and wait for the signal to move out." Without another word, he turned and stalked away, leaving bewildered soldiers in his wake.

Returning to the front of the ranks of soldiers, he saw that the other three Guardians, the four former Guardians, Denzo, Siara, and Meersa were all standing together. He walked over and joined them silently.

"Parts of their forces have started to disperse, moving to the east and west," Takeru stated solemnly. "Denzo, you and Siara will take the left wing of our soldiers to meet them in the west, Meersa, you and our parents will take the right wing of our soldiers to stop any advances they might try to make from the east. Both groups will take two wolves and two lionesses to assist them and to keep us informed. While those groups are doing that, the four of us, and the rest of our soldiers, will make a stand here. Any questions?"

"Where will Miyo and Akio be?" Meersa asked, glancing back at the two.

"They will stay with us," Takeru answered. "Any other questions?"

No one spoke, as they had no objections. With a last curt nod, Takeru began walking forward slightly, and the others began to disperse as well, going to carry out their dictated orders. Revenge, Storm, Serenity, and Miracle went with Denzo's group while Poison, Hysteria, Patience, and Dawn accompanied Meersa's. The other Beasts and the two birds stayed loyally with their masters and mistresses.

From behind the group, Akio and Miyo walked up quietly. Miyo moved to Hiroki's side and huddled against his side. Akio did the same with Takeru.

"Daddy, I'm scared," Miyo whimpered quietly, looking at Isan's army. "I don't want to fight."

"Me either, Papa," Akio echoed.

Hiroki sighed slightly and pulled Miyo a little closer. "I know. We don't want to fight either, but we have to. If we don't, lots of people will get hurt or even killed. Do you two understand?"

The two small children nodded slightly, still dissatisfied; however, the elder children could do nothing to ease that dissatisfied feeling, as they were experiencing it themselves. They continued to watch Isan's army with sharp eyes, waiting for the inevitable attack. Seconds later, as they had predicted, a flock of winged beings rose into the air and a wall of arrows come rushing towards them.

Calmly, they drew their weapons and mounted their Beasts and Animals. It was time to fight the final battle, winner take all.

/o-o/

To the west, Denzo and his group were unaware that the attack had started, as dense foliage hid their view of the armies. They treaded cautiously, ever watchful and alert. They knew that an attack could come from anywhere at anytime and they were at a disadvantage.

Denzo inwardly cursed as one of the human soldiers stepped on a large stick, causing it to crack loudly.

'_Just give away our position, why don't you?' _he thought angrily, though he showed no emotion outwardly; he simply kept walking as if nothing at all had happened.

However, the magical beings around him were fearing for their lives, and they did not take kindly to this...this _human _jeopardizing them. They glared deeply, a glare which was returned by all of the human soldiers. There might have been a brawl, had Siara and Denzo not stepped in-between the two groups, sending warning looks to each and every member. Grudgingly, both sides backed down and they continued on their way.

Siara sighed and placed a hand Serenity's shoulder. The lioness purred softly, encouraging her not to be afraid or frustrated. It worked, and Siara calmed. Suddenly she felt Serenity go stiff beneath her hand, and the cat's purr was replaced with a low growl. Looking around, Siara saw that the other Beasts were acting the same way.

"What is it, girl?" Siara asked softly.

Serenity didn't bother answering in human tongue, she simply gestured to up in the trees with her head. Siara and Denzo, who had noticed the signal as well, looked hard, but could see nothing. The rest of the group seemed confused, not sure what was going on. Then, Rhianna called out suddenly.

"Denzo, look out!"

Denzo's head shot up again and he was just barely able to dodge an arrow that had seemingly come from nowhere. No archers could be seen. The rest of the group, especially the humans, clustered together. Denzo moved in-front of Siara. She whispered to him.

"Next time they shoot, use your control over time to evade, then let me handle the rest."

He gave her a slight look of confusion before nodding. They didn't have to wait long for the next shot. Several shots, actually. The two Faerie spell-casters that were with the group immediately put up a shield around the small clustered group, all were protected, save for the vampires. That wasn't a problem, though, as they had tremendous speed. However, instead of running recklessly deeper into the forest to try to find and slay the archers, as they would normally do, the vampires simply obeyed Siara's request and dodged. As soon as they had done so, a soft, haunting melody filled the grove they were in.

Denzo looked over and saw his sister singing. He immediately understood her plan. She was going to use her power of Song to lure the shooters out; why hadn't he thought of that? He kept his guard up and crept closer to his sister, hoping that her plan would work as it was the only way to give them a fair shot at winning; after all, the spell-casters couldn't hold up the shield forever.

Eyes closed, Siara was completely focused on the illusion she was weaving. She was forming the image that the archers' arrows had hit their targets, and most of the small group was dead or dying, herself and Denzo included. She made sure to completely hide the alive group from enemy eyes, and she made extra sure that the enemy was the only one seeing this image. They couldn't afford to have their own soldiers think they were going crazy and seeing themselves dying.

As Siara's voice grew in confidence and pitch, the vision began to elicit the wanted effect. As the group watched, small figures, just larger than children, but with adult faces and bodies, clambered down the trees cautiously, bows and arrows in hand. The one in the head of the group fired an arrow at a soldier that Siara had portrayed as still alive. Siara altered her voice to show that soldier's death.

She started to breathe heavily as the extended and specific use of her power began to drain her energy; however, she couldn't back down yet. The enemy was completely tangled in her web of deception, she only needed to keep them there for a little bit longer until her brother and the others could slay them.

Seeing how exhausted his sister was becoming, Denzo knew that they couldn't waste another second. Giving the signal to be silent, lest they expose the illusion, he raised his dagger and quietly plunged it into the nearest archer's neck. As the archer fell dead, he heard Siara alter her voice slightly to make sure that the archer was still alive in the illusion. He could see the sweat beads on her forehead; she had never had to use her power this extensively before and he didn't know how much longer she could hold out. They needed to be fast and deadly.

Moving quickly, he and the other two vampires attacked the remaining archers, Siara's voice altering every time one fell, as the rest of the group simply looked on. After only a minute or two, the group of shooters had been totally decimated. Denzo walked over to his sister and swiftly moved to support her.

"It's done now," he told her quietly.

Immediately, her voice cut off. She swayed a little, and leaned into Denzo, recovering her strength. Knowing that their were most likely many other members of Isan's army around, Denzo decided that they needed to move now, to help avoid being tracked down; however, it was obvious that Siara was too weak to walk just yet. Scooping her up, he placed her on Serenity's back.

"Let's move," he called to the rest of the soldiers.

With only slight hesitation, they obeyed and continued their trudge through the forest. As they walked, Rhianna placed a hand on Siara's shoulder as the younger girl laid down on Serenity's fur, trying to rest.

'_Gather your energy soon, little cousin,' _Rhianna thought, _'Without you, we may not survive this battle.'_

/o-o/

Meanwhile, at the main battle field, Hikari was being attacked in the sky by several raven-winged individuals that reminded her of the Caelon; she winced at the memory. Also, she was being shot at by many archers on the ground. She was able to dodge the attacks, but was not able to go on the offensive with either her bow or her dagger.

Inwardly sighing, she decided that she had had enough. She had planned to save her Wind Energy for later in the battle, but now seemed as good a time as ever to employ it. Dodging one last round of attacks, she called upon a great amount of energy, sending a hurricane-like gust towards all of her attackers. It successfully blew the archers' weapons away and downed about three of the raven-winged creatures, stunning them. However, four of the raven-creatures seemed almost unaffected by her Wind.

The largest one laughed sharply. "We are powerful angels of the air, do you truly think that your Wind attacks would harm any of us save for the juveniles?"

"You're not angels," Hikari growled. "You're demons. The true angels of the air are gone."

"And just who would the 'true angels of the air' be?" one of the others, a female, asked mockingly. "The Caelon? Oh please, that race was weak, not fit to rule the sky; unlike us."

"Don't speak of them like that!" Hikari replied angrily. "They were noble and brave. A far better race than you could ever _hope _to be!" She accentuated her anger by unleashing another gust, this one much more powerful than the first.

She watched with grim satisfaction as the self-proclaimed 'angels of the air' were thrown backwards towards the ground. They flapped their wings in a frenzy, trying to regain balance before they slammed into the ground. All their attempts were for nothing, however, as Hikari's attack had been far too powerful for them. They hit the ground with a sickening thud, blood pooling around their heads. Hikari felt another pang of pain as the scene reminded her again of what had happened with the Caelon.

Shaking off the feeling, she instinctively scanned the battlefield, searching for the others. She saw Takeru and Katya fighting with some of the more powerful Mages; Hiroki was near them, fighting with some of the Shadowlore. Miyo and Akio were being protected by Rage and Star not far away. At least they were all in the same area, she thought, it would sure come in handy when Isan and Shaukaka decided to show their ugly faces.

/o-o/

While all this was happening, Meersa's group to the east was having their own battle as well. Their trek had started out calmly enough, like a morning hike through the woods, but then they had been attacked.

The attackers were a group of a couple dozen Shadowlore and humans; not particularly skilled individually, but together they formed a deadly unit. Moving as one, they attacked the group using both weak magic and razor sharp weapons.

BlackWolf dodged as the assault wave came, just barely missing being hit by several energy balls. Tightening his hold on his sword, he decided to take the offensive. Leaping towards a small group of humans that had separated from the other attackers, he swiped with his sword several lightning fast times, killing all five of the enemies.

He turned just in time to see an angry mob of Shadowlore and humans rushing towards him. Leaping into the sky, he nimbly avoided their attack. However, he hadn't anticipated that the first attack was merely a decoy and the real attack was coming from behind. By the time he noticed it, it was too late to dodge. He closed his eyes and braced himself for the certain impact. However, it never came.

When he opened his eyes seconds later, he found himself in another part of the clearing, watching the group that had just attacked him being attacked by the other three previous Guardians. Looking behind him, he saw Meersa glaring.

"Stupid man, don't you think?"

BlackWolf smiled slightly, knowing that Meersa was really just worried. "Of course not, haven't you learned that by now?"

Meersa shook her head in what appeared to be anger before looking sharply up towards the battle in the sky, surprised look on her face. BlackWolf followed her gaze and saw why she had looked so surprised.

The enemies in the sky had simply stopped moving and were staring into space, seemingly in a daze. The three previous Guardians who had been engaged in battle with them, looked on, confused. Suddenly, the head Shadowlore stated one word: "Master."

The utterance of that one single word elicited a reaction from the entire enemy group. Still moving as one, they all began heading away from the group, not even looking back. Within seconds, they had all disappeared.

BlackWolf was the first to come out of the slight shock of the change of events and let what the Shadowlore had said sink in. It hit him hard.

"Come on!" he called urgently to the others, "We have to get back, Isan has arrived!"

/o-o/

Takeru grunted quietly as he struck down yet another Mage. This one had had some control over Illusion, but had still been relatively easy to defeat. However, though all opponents he had met had been weak compared to him, they were still draining his energy little by little. He never thought he would think this, but the sooner they met up with Isan, the better.

Hearing a loud noise from behind, he spun around, and wished he had never thought that meeting Isan would be good. For there, across the field, Isan towered, Shaukaka next to him. All of Isan's army had stopped fighting and was now bowing towards their master and mistress. All was deathly silent until...

"Papa! Mama!" "Mommy! Daddy!"

Takeru whirled around towards where the terrified screams had come from. His heart practically stopped as he saw Rage and Star on the ground, seemingly unconscious, and Tejuku flying away with Akio. Keitya was flying next to him, holding the struggling Miyo.

Anger consuming his mind, Takeru changed into his true form and leapt into the air. The other Guardians immediately followed his example. As they neared the two carrying their beloved charges, Irika and Rioku appeared between the two groups, smiling arrogantly.

"Don't try anything unless you want your precious children dead," Rioku threatened.

Looking behind Rioku, the Guardians saw that the threat was not an idle one. The two small children were being held in uncomfortably tight grips and a dagger was pressed against each of their tiny throats. They looked terrified beyond belief.

"Now, be good little pets and go to your master," Irika said in a sickeningly sweet mocking voice while indicating Isan.

Resenting it, but realizing that they had no choice, the four Guardians reluctantly began to glide over to the large Shadowlore, the other four children flying beside them, not relinquishing their hold on the Keys in the slightest.

"When you left the Abbey we thought you had changed," Katya spoke softly. "Become more honorable people, more worthy enemies. But now we see that you were really only moving from one demented master to another. We should have known."

Rioku, who had been flying the closest to her, scowled and backhanded her. "You know _nothing_ of us, so don't pretend you do!"

"You know nothing of yourselves," was the quiet reply.

This remark was followed by silence, only broken by the soft whimpers of Akio and Miyo. Takeru looked over towards Tejuku and Akio, who were only a few feet away.

"It's alright Akio," Takeru soothed calmly. "Everything will be fine."

Akio whimpered again, struggling slightly against Tejuku's death hold.

"Papa, I'm scared," he admitted quietly as soon as he was able to get slightly away from Tejuku's knife.

Surprisingly, his captor didn't tighten his hold or threaten him or anything like that.

"Don't be scared, I promise you'll be okay," Takeru replied, hoping that he could keep that promise. Then, his gaze turned towards Tejuku. "Does this make you feel good?" he asked, anger clear, though his voice was placid. "Do you enjoy hurting innocent children for a gain that isn't even your own?"

"What would you know?" Tejuku shot back, his own anger rising. Then, looking ahead, his face became calm. "Not that your opinion will matter soon anyway. Once Isan is through with you, he's promised to let me deal the fatal blow."

Takeru had no time to reply as they then landed in front of Isan and Shaukaka, Takeru instinctively standing slightly in front of the others. The four Guardians sent the two a glare that was returned tenfold. Isan slithered towards them and crouched down, looking Takeru in the face. The Shadow Mage stared back defiantly, not moving, as Isan grabbed a handful of his hair.

"Well, well, my pet," Isan started in a dangerously low voice. "You've been very bad. I think you need to be punished, don't you agree?"

Takeru didn't dignify that threat with a response. He simply stood stoicly as Isan suddenly whipped his back with his spiked tail several times. He could feel the other Guardians tense anxiously and could hear the two children crying. Surprisingly, Tejuku seemed a little agitated too.

After hitting Takeru about fifteen or twenty times, Isan slithered back around to the front of the boy.

"Are you ready to beg for my forgiveness pet?"

"Why should I?" Takeru asked quietly. "I've done no wrong."

"You betrayed me, you little bastard," Isan hissed.

"How could I betray you when I was never loyal in the first place?" Takeru questioned.

As he raised his gaze to look at Isan again, the Shadowlore was shocked to see a small smirk on the boy's face and Shadow Energy dancing in his eyes.

"In case you've forgotten, you're not the only dangerous one here Isan," Takeru stated, almost unnaturally calm. "Perhaps we should remind you of that."

With that last warning, an immense wave of Shadow Energy radiated from the boy, succeeding in knocking Isan backwards slightly. Taking advantage of all of the enemy's bewilderment, Takeru quickly darted to the left and snatched Akio from Tejuku. Opposite him, Hiroki was able to retrieve Miyo. As he flew upwards, clutching Akio, he felt the boy tighten his arms around his neck.

"Papa, he's coming!" Akio said fearfully, looking down and seeing Tejuku gaining on them.

"Don't worry," Takeru soothed. "He won't get us."

Akio was about to ask how his Papa knew that when suddenly, Tejuku was knocked out of the sky by a blur. No, scratch that, it wasn't a blur, it was Denzo!

"Papa, it's Denzo!" Akio cried excitedly.

Takeru smiled slightly. He had known Denzo wouldn't let him down. He had felt the boy and his group coming right after Isan had 'punished' him, and that was the only reason he decided to take a chance and use his power. Looking to the east, he saw that Meersa's group had arrived as well. BlackWolf immediately flew to Takeru's side, frowning as he saw his son's bloody back.

"They're only scratches," Takeru replied quickly in a no-nonsense tone, immediately picking up on what had irritated the elder. He then place Akio in BlackWolf's arms. "Here, take Akio down to the Meersa and the Beasts where he will be safe."

Deciding that it would be faster to do as Takeru had ordered rather than argue it out, BlackWolf obeyed.

Once BlackWolf and Akio had left, Takeru turned his attention back to the battle that had now continued. The soldiers of Larin's army were exhausted, but were still fighting with the humans and very weak Shadowlore. Denzo and group were dealing with some of the stronger magical beings, and Meersa's group was guarding the two Keys. That left him and the other Guardians to deal with Isan, Shaukaka, and their four counterparts.

Takeru waited grimly as Tejuku flew back up to him, glaring. The two stared at each other silently until Takeru broke the silence.

"Well, this is what you wanted, isn't it?" he questioned, keeping his eyes on his twin. "A fight to the death, just you and me."

"Damn right this is what I wanted," Tejuku growled, drawing his swords. "Now let's go!"

Glancing down one last time to see that the other Guardians were having duels of their own while the elder Guardians were heading towards Isan and Shaukaka, Takeru drew his swords as well and blocked Tejuku's attack. Backing slightly, he launched an attack of his own. Tejuku blocked this one and they were again in a stale-mate.

"Y'know," Takeru started almost conversationally as they viciously sparred, "we always seem to have the same problem when we fight. By the time it's finally just the two of us, neither can get the upper hand."

"So what's your point?" Tejuku growled, swinging his sword hard from above.

Takeru blocked with ease and countered. "Well, it makes you wonder if it's all worth it. I mean, we've been enemies for nearly a year now, and our fights never turn out any differently. Is it really worth it to spend our lives pursuing a battle that we most likely will never finish?"

"Of course it is," Tejuku snapped. "That's the only reason I'm here."

"I don't believe that," Takeru replied before attacking from the left. "No matter what RedCoyote's intentions were when he created you, you still have a choice in your life, you're no different from anyone else."

"You're wrong! I'm stronger than everyone else! I have to be." He pushed Takeru's blade back and hovered, trying to catch his breath.

Takeru didn't give him the opportunity as he immediately attacked again, both verbally and physically. "Why is that? Why do you have to be stronger?"

"_Because! _It's my destiny. You of all people should understand destiny!"

"I understand that you make your own destiny. Your father didn't make this life for you, _you _made it. Don't you understand? You don't _have _to do anything because of what your father did. You don't have to be the best unless you really want to be. And you and I don't have to finish this feud. I mean, come on! It isn't even between _us_! Why must we be enemies just because our fathers were?"

All throughout his ranting lecture, Takeru had taken the offensive in their fight, not giving Tejuku the opportunity to do anything but defend. Waiting for a response to what he had said, Takeru was very surprised when he received none. Looking down slightly at Tejuku, he was shocked to see remorse in the other boy's eyes. Stopping his attack, he pulled back slightly.

"Do you understand?" Takeru asked softly. "Do you finally see it now?"

"I-I don't know," Tejuku replied unsurely, sounding weary, not at all like himself. "If what you say is true, then my whole life has been a lie."

"That's not true either and you know it. You made some mistakes in the past, but those will only help you in making a future," Takeru advised, almost feeling as though he was speaking to a friend, or at least a non-hostile acquaintance.

Tejuku looked ready to say something else, when two terrified screams came from below, stopping him. Takeru automatically looked down and his heart skipped a beat. His father and the other previous Guardians were sprawled on the ground, obviously seriously hurt. Some of his wolves and some of Katya's lionesses were spread on the ground as well. He could also feel that Meersa was lying in the fray.

However, it wasn't necessarily _that_ sight which made his heart jump; it was when he had noticed that Akio and Miyo were in the grips of Isan and Shaukaka that his heart leapt into his throat. Not even looking back at Tejuku, Takeru darted down towards them, swords ready. He stopped dead when Isan placed a blade against Akio's throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shaukaka trace a razor-sharp nail across the whimpering Miyo's throat. The other Guardians flew up behind Takeru, not sure what to do.

"Leave them be!" Takeru called. "They're only children, they've done nothing to you!"

"They're the Keys," Isan replied calmly. "That's the only reason I need to hurt them."

"With their power, we can easily defeat you and conquer all of Hiata with no resistance," Shaukaka continued, still tracing a path across Miyo's slender neck.

"Let them go!" Hikari cried out, pleading now.

"I don't think so, child," Shaukaka sneered. "Now, say good-bye because this is the last time you'll ever see them alive."

As the Guardians watched in horror, Shaukaka dug her nails across Miyo's throat and Isan pulled the dagger across Akio's. A surge of power spilled from each of the now limp children, along with their blood.

"NO!" the Guardians cried as one, diving for the bodies of the children as the two monsters let them fall while they absorbed the released power.

Takeru reached Akio's body first. Snatching it out of the air and cradling it as gently as he could, he landed. Looking down at the still, bloody form in his embrace, burning tears began to well up in his eyes. He let them fall without a fight. What was the point now, now that he had failed Akio? It was his fault the precious boy was dead, he was supposed to protect him, but he hadn't.

He felt Katya next to him and felt her tears on his skin as she leaned against him for support. Hikari and Hiroki were cradling Miyo's body only feet away.

"Akio, wake up," Takeru whispered, voice cracking, knowing it was futile. "You can't leave me, you can't leave _us. _We need you. Please, don't be dead. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you, and I know it's my fault that they got you, but I'll do anything to get you back. Anything."

Suddenly, as he looked upon Akio's cold face, and idea came to him. Closing his eyes, he descended to his Life Force Crystal rapidly. Once their, he took a deep breath and called out with his mind.

'_Death!'_

At first, no reply came to his call, but then the area around him began to feel odd; cold...dark...he recognized it at once. Ascending back to his body, he opened his eyes and saw that he, the other Guardians, and the two Keys had entered the Underworld. The Portal of Death stood in front of them in his 'human' form, the swirling gate no longer there. The Angel of Death was also absent.

"You called for me, Shadow Mage?" he rumbled.

Carefully passing Akio's cold, stiff form to Katya, Takeru nodded and stood.

"I wish to make a deal," he started quietly. "These two children do not deserve to die. Since it was my responsibility to protect them, and I failed, I offer my life in place of theirs." He heard Katya and the others gasp behind him, but paid it no mind.

The Portal of Death looked down at him, considering. "These children are very powerful and very important, it is not a fair trade to take just your one soul in return for their two."

"Then take me as well," Katya said quickly, standing with Akio, and moving next to Takeru.

"And me," Hikari put in, joining the other three.

"I offer my life too," Hiroki finished, completing the group.

The Portal of Death still looked down at them. After a moment, he replied. "Very well, in return for your lives, I will return these two children to life, no strings attached. Place the two children on the ground in front of you and draw out your Crystals."

Nodding somberly, the Guardians did as they were bid.

"Now," the Portal said. "Surrender your Crystals and everything you are to me."

Nodding again, they stepped forward slightly, holding their Crystals in front of them. Concentrating, they began to descend their minds into the Crystals, as they had done when it was time for their six-month payment. They had nearly finished when a voice rang through the void.

"Stop!"

Takeru was the first to react as he jerked back to his body and whirled around.

"Father, what in the world are _you _doing here? And you others as well?" he asked incredulously.

"We have come to help you," EvenBreeze answered calmly.

Then, BlackWolf turned to address the Portal of Death.

"Death, as these children have offered their lives in place of the others, we offer our lives in place of theirs."

"Father, no!" Takeru protested.

"You can't!" Hikari chimed.

Katya and Hiroki nodded their agreement, not sure what to say. BlackWolf walked up to Takeru and cupped his cheek, making him look into his eyes.

"Son, we have lived our lives, and even lived past that. You still have a mission to accomplish. You still have to defeat Isan and destroy the Chaos stone that he wears around his neck, the stone that is absorbing the Keys' powers and will destroy all if not stopped. That is your destiny. Ours is to do this."

"But, I can't lose you," Takeru argued weakly, feeling his eyes fill with tears again. "You can't give your life for us."

"How do you think Akio and Miyo would feel if they awoke again only to find that the people they think of as parents are dead so that they could live?"

Takeru had no answer for that. He felt a tear trickle down his cheek and he felt BlackWolf gently brush it away. Then, his father drew him into an embrace, wrapping his wings lightly around the boy.

"Do not fret, my son, things will work out. I am sure that we will meet again, and even if we do not, the world will not end. Life will go on after I am gone, that much I can assure you. Here, I have something for you."

He pulled back slightly and removed a pendant from around his neck. It was a circular piece of flat ebony with a wolf's head engraved on it, hanging on a thin leather rope. BlackWolf gently put it around Takeru's neck.

"Just to make sure you remember," he said softly. "Also, don't forget, I do not want you to be sad when I am gone, I want you to be happy and care-free as a child your age should be. Do not feel sorrow, and do not forget to smile. Will you promise me that much?"

Takeru took a deep breath to steady himself. "I will try father," he said sincerely.

"Good," BlackWolf replied. "Then good-bye, for now."

"Good-bye," Takeru replied, just above a whisper.

Looking around, he saw that the other Guardians had said similar farewells and had received trinkets from their parents as well, as tokens of good-bye. Hikari had received a ring with a bird etched into it, Katya had received a choker with a silver lioness charm attacked, and Hiroki had received a thick metal armband with a depiction of a phoenix carved on it. All had watery eyes, and deep sorrow was etched on their faces.

"It is time now," the Portal of Death said.

Nodding, the previous Guardians stepped forward and the current Guardians knelt by Akio and Miyo. They watched with sad awe as the Portal of Death stepped forward and gazed down at each of the previous Guardians. Raising its hands, the Portal of Death murmured something in the Old Tongue, but the Guardians couldn't make it out.

Then, its hands began to glow a slight gray color, as did the bodies of the previous Guardians. The elder Guardians closed their eyes and breathed slowly. With each breath, more of the glow surrounding them transferred to the Portal of Death. Their bodies began to fade little by little.

The Guardians watched wide-eyed as their bodies became completely transparent. It was clear that the exchange was nearly complete. Opening their eyes again, the former Guardians turned to cast one last encouraging look at their children, a look that would haunt the four teenagers for the rest of their lives, before they disappeared completely.

Katya and Hikari both gasped and buried their faces in their hands while Takeru and Hiroki held it in. They looked down sharply as, all of a sudden, Miyo and Akio's bodies began glowing. Catching sight of the glows, the girls raised their heads and looked as well. While they watched, the wounds on the childrens' necks sealed themselves until there was no physical evidence that an attack had occurred.

The small children let out tiny groans as they opened their eyes. Immediately, they were swept up by the older children, who stroked their hair and checked them over, making sure that they were really there.

"The deed is done," the Portal of Death spoke suddenly. "Go now, back to the battle."

With nothing more than that said, the landscape around them faded and changed again until they were back on the battlefield. It appeared that time had been frozen while they had been gone, as everyone was in the same exact position.

Seeing Isan and Shaukaka caused all of the Guardians' blood to boil with undefined rage. Placing the two Keys gently on the ground and ordering the two birds to cease fighting and protect them, the Guardians launched their attack on the two powerful Shadowlore. They shot as many high voltage blasts at the two as they were physically able to, but the Shadowlore were able to dodge most of the attacks, and a shield prevented the rest of the attacks from reaching them.

Isan laughed evilly while looking down at them. "Your puny attacks cannot harm us," he gloated. "Not when our Chaos Stone is protecting us with more power than every before."

Looking up wearily, the Guardians saw that it was true. The support of the shield that had been blocking their attacks was the large dark stone around Isan's neck.

'_We have to get that away from him and destroy it...but how?' _Takeru thought, desperately trying to formulate a plan. Suddenly, his gaze rested on Katya and it all made sense. _'Of course! The Light Mage can destroy the dark stone. If the three of us can get it away, she can spiral and destroy it and then Isan and Shaukaka will be vulnerable to direct attacks...I hope.'_

"Katya, be ready," he said quietly.

She looked over, surprised. "Ready for what?"

"You'll see," he replied vaguely, "And you'll know what to do."

Saying nothing more, he darted into the sky, heading straight for Isan as quickly as he could. Suddenly, Shaukaka appeared, blocking his path. She swung one of her massive clawed hands at him, gouging him deeply in the side. He clutched his side as she prepared for another attack. However, she never got the chance as, at that moment, Hiroki barreled into her, knocking her off balance. Hikari was not far behind.

"Go for it," she called quietly as she passed him, the two Elementals having somewhat caught on to his plan.

Nodding, he wasted no time in moving on towards Isan. The beast was looking at him with hatred now, waiting for the boy to get in attack range. As soon as the young Mage was within arms-length, Isan attacked, swiping at him with deadly sharp claws. He managed to catch the boy in the shoulder, but did not seriously injure him.

Not deterred, Takeru advanced again, dodging Isan's claws and making his way towards the glowing stone around the monster's neck. Receiving only a few more scratches, he reached the object he had been heading for.

'_Well, that was easy,' _he thought as he reached for the stone, ignoring the now-thrashing Shadowlore who was trying to get a hold on his body.

As soon as his skin come in contact with the stone, a searing sensation flooded his body. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood to keep himself from crying out. He pulled desperately, trying to break the chain holding the stone. He barely noticed as the Shadowlore's hands found their way around his chest and began squeezing, trying to dislodge the boy. Takeru winced as he heard an audible crack.

Paying the pain no mind, he pulled one last time, this time also shooting a link with his draining Shadow magic. It snapped and he pulled the stone free. Unable to break free of Isan, Takeru threw the stone as hard as he could towards Katya. It was up to her now.

Seeing the stone coming towards her, it immediately clicked in Katya's mind what she had to do. Closing her eyes and descending to her Life Force Crystal, she immediately went past the glowing markers and she began to feel her power engulf her. She tried to push it out of her mind as she went further and further. She continued down until she knew she would pass out if the pressure on her mind got any greater.

Gathering all the energy that she could at that level, she focused on the stone she could feel coming towards her. Bracing herself for the pain she would feel when she released this power, she let it go.

As the power flowed through her veins, she could barely form a conscious thought, do to the agony she was in, However, she knew it was a small price to pay for what it would hopefully accomplish. No..she told herself...for what it _would _accomplish. She had to believe in herself one-hundred percent if it was to work.

Forcing her eyes open, she saw her Light surrounding the stone, but it was still unclear whether Takeru's plan would work or not. Wait...Takeru! Vision darting around quickly, she found him still in Isan's clutches, though the monster was not concentrating on him at the moment. She also saw that Hikari and Hiroki were on the ground, recovering as they too watched the stone.

Katya then turned her attention back to the stone, knowing that she had done all she could. As she watched, the stone seemed to absorb her Light energy. It seemed as though she had failed, but she wasn't ready to give up hope yet, as she could still feel her energy present. Moments more passed.

Suddenly, to the amazement of all there, the Chaos Stone began to chip and crack from the inside. More and more cracks formed. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, the stone shattered, shards flying in every direction before disintegrating. Small relieved smile on her face, Katya sank to her knees, completely drained.

Meanwhile, Takeru had taken advantage of Isan's distraction to free himself from the Shadowlore's hold and fly down by the other Guardians. Now that they had destroyed the Chaos Stone, they only needed to destroy Isan and Shaukaka.

All of a sudden, Takeru's mind flashed back to the other four enemies. Looking around quickly, he saw that they had vanished. Oh well, he figured, four less things to worry about. Now they could concentrate solely on the two Shadowlore.

"So, any ideas?" Hiroki voiced quietly, looking up at the Shadowlore, who were still in shock.

"Use us, Daddy," Miyo answered, walking up behind him. Akio was next to her.

"We can help Mama," Akio told Katya. "You just have to use our power combined with your own."

"How do we do that?" Hikari asked.

"The same way we stripped Karina's power, only we use it instead of dispersing it, and we don't take it all," Takeru answered instantly.

The others nodded, seeing the sense in his explanation. They all knew that they needed to work fast though, it wouldn't be long before Isan and Shaukaka snapped back to reality. Sitting the two children down in front of them, they each placed their fingers on the temples of their respective 'children.' Concentrating, they descended inside of the small figures, searching for their power.

It didn't take long to find it, as every part of the children was completely brimming with energy.

"Take it," the children mentally said together. "Use it with your own. Take as much as you can."

Mentally nodding in reply, the four teenagers set to draining the childrens' energy, quickly but carefully. They each took an equal amount, feeling it envelop their entire bodies. They had never felt so powerful in all of their lives. When the maximum amount they would risk taking had been taken, they released their mental hold on the Keys, lying their unconscious bodies on the ground gently.

They then stood, as one, and faced the two Shadowlore, who were just coming out of their daze. Wanting to waste no time, the four Guardians set upon doing what they had been born to do. Calling the Keys' power to the surface, they also called upon their own, all but Katya spiraling deeply, Katya spiraled only a little. Going until they could go no further, they released the power, still moving as one, and directed it towards the two evil beings.

They had no intentions of holding back now and letting the Shadowlore fight back. If they did that or showed mercy, the sacrifices of their parents, the Caelon, and all of the other soldiers who had died would mean nothing. No, they had to be swift and deadly in this attack. It all came down to this one assault.

As the energy ran through them, they couldn't help but scream. This power...it was so much...so overwhelming...they had thought they knew pain before, but this was unbearable...they were sure that they would die...be destroyed from the inside...but if they won...that didn't matter.

It took nearly a minute for the energy to stop flowing, the time length showing just how powerful it had been. When the last of it had been released the Guardians, still running on stamina alone, looked at the scene in front of them. Their attack had mostly worked, the two Shadowlore were near death. Now, they only needed to finish the job.

Pulling out their weapons, the Mages lunged at Isan while the Elementals headed for Shaukaka. They drove their weapons in cleanly and deeply, killing the Shadowlore instantly. The bodies of the two Shadowlore and all of their army, disintegrated, seemingly blown away by the wind.

Sagging back down, all adrenaline and energy gone, Takeru finally noticed what a toll this fight had taken on his body. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, could barely see or think. He wasn't even completely sure that he had survived. As his numb body collapsed to the ground and his heavy eyelids began to close, he could have sworn that he saw his father leaning over him, care in the elder's eyes. However, even in his daze, he knew this could not be so, and with a heavy heart he let his eyes close the rest of the way, wishing to sleep and never return to this nightmare of life.

/o-o/

When Takeru next awakened, he found himself in a familiar soft bed in a familiar room. He was at Castle Shuuko again. Struggling to sit up, he found that the room was empty, and seemed as though it had been for a while.

With a little effort, he tried to remember exactly why he was here. Then, it all came rushing back to him.

"No," he mumbled, not wanting to accept it. "No, it must have been a dream...just a horrible dream."

Throwing back the covers and scrambling out of bed, ignoring his weakness, he darted into the washroom and looked in the mirror. The pendant, it was around his neck, and there were bandages on his shoulder and chest, even though the damage had been done to his other form. The reality of it all began to sink in and he gently held the pendant with shaking hands. Then, something in the mirror caught his eye..or, rather, something that _wasn't _in the mirror caught his eye.

His collar, the one that Isan had put on him, it was gone.

/It came off right after Isan was destroyed./ Rage said quietly from behind him.

Takeru turned around and spotted the great wolf standing behind him. As he looked at the wolf's sorrowful face, all of his exhaustion came rushing back to him. His legs buckled and he would have fallen flat on his face if Rage hadn't rushed over and offered his support.

/Rage, what happened to the others/ he asked wearily.

/The other Guardians and the Keys are all resting, as you were. They all used a dangerous amount of energy./

/But, they'll be alright/

Rage nodded mentally.

/What of the Vampires, Faeries, and humans/

/They have all rested and gone home. The Vampires wanted to stay, but the Watcher told them that their city needed them now more than ever./

/I see/ he replied quietly. He could say and think no more as he drifted back off to sleep, blissfully forgetting what had happened once again.

/o-o/

Two weeks later, the Guardians all stood somberly in the courtyard, watching the rain fall. They had healed physically, but mentally and emotionally they were still heavily broken. The farewell that they were supposed to give each other was not helping their state at all.

It seemed that while they had been resting, Meersa and the Watcher had been working on a way to get Takeru and Hikari back to Earth. Now, they had finished. The two digidestined had already said tearful good-byes to the crying children, and given promises to meet again, but they could find nothing to say to the other Guardians.

They had all known this day would come, had known since they first met, but that didn't mean they were ready for it. With what had happened, they felt that they needed each other more than ever. But, the Watcher and Meersa had said that the two Earth dwellers needed to leave that night, they couldn't wait any longer.

Sighing sadly, Takeru decided that if he was going to say good-bye, it needed to be now. However, it would be better in private; nothing against the two Elementals, of course. Moving slightly, he gently grasped Katya's hand and pulled her into the rain, towards a corner of the courtyard. When they reached it, they looked upon each other silently again. They could still find no words to express the grief and sorrow they felt about parting.

"This is...harder than I thought," Katya finally started quietly, moving closer to Takeru until her head was resting on his shoulder. "I don't want you to leave me, but I know you must."

Takeru embraced her fondly. "We will meet again, lover. Just have faith."

"I-I know," she replied shakily. "It's just...we've already lost so many friends, I don't know if I can bear to lose you to."

"You won't lose me," Takeru comforted, trying to be strong. "As long as you remember me, we'll always be together."

Katya let out an unnatural laugh and pulled back slightly. "That sounded so corny," she teased softly, running a hand through his damp hair.

Takeru allowed himself a small smile. "I know, but it's true."

"Mmhmm," Katya murmured, moving back into the embrace. She tilted her head up and engaged a farewell kiss.

After a few moments, they pulled back again and Katya cocked her head slightly.

"Do you feel that?" she asked quietly. "It feels like...mother."

Takeru looked at her strangely before concentrating. Surprisingly, he found that she was right. He could feel his father's power. _'I guess it makes sense,' _he thought. _'After all, a Forgotten's power _is _dispersed throughout Hiata after they're...gone. That must be why we can feel them.'_

"See?" he whispered to Katya. "You won't be alone when I'm gone. You'll have the others with you always," smiling a little, he decided to try to lighten the mood. "And I'm sure that spirits will do more to keep Larin in line than I would."

Katya couldn't help but smile back at his joke. This was one thing she loved about him, he always thought of other's feelings and tried to make them feel better before he considered himself.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, breaking her train of thought. "Guardians! It's time."

Takeru and Katya looked up to see Meersa calling from a high window. Sighing, the two walked back through the courtyard in the rain, never releasing their hold on each other's hand. As they neared the entrance back into the castle, they caught sight of Hiroki and Hikari breaking off a passionate kiss. From the looks on their faces, it seemed as though the Elementals had had a hard time saying good-bye as well.

All soaked from the warm rain, the four walked slowly up to the third floor of the castle. They found the Watcher, Meersa, Alitea, the Keys, and all of their Shadow Beasts and Spirit Animals in one large room. There was a light purple stone in the middle of the room.

"Are you ready?" the Watcher asked softly.

Giving their lovers another quick kiss, giving the Keys another hug, and mentally saying farewell to their beasts and animal, the two Earth dwellers nodded and stepped forward. Nodding in return, Meersa stepped forward and placed a hand on the light purple stone. When she murmured some type of spell, the stone began to glow. Standing up, she flicked her wrist and a portal opened in the air. It was much like the portals that allowed her to travel throughout Hiata, except this one led to another dimension.

After making sure that the portal was secure, Meersa stepped back and out of the way.

"I will miss you Guardians," she said sincerely. "But I'm sure you'll find your way back again. Go now, the portal will not hold for long."

Nodding their farewells to her, the Watcher, and Alitea, they looked back at the other two Guardians and the Keys one last time before stepping through the portal and disappearing from sight.

/o-o/

Matt and Tai walked down the dark streets of Odaiba slowly, having just finished cleaning up from Matt's latest concert.

"You did a great job tonight, man," Tai complimented quietly, though he knew the blonde's thoughts were elsewhere.

It took Matt a moment to register what had been said. When it sunk in, he looked over and replied. "Thanks." Then, he went back into his own little world and let Tai go into his.

Usually, he would have said more, thanking Tai for the help and for coming, however tonight just wasn't a good night for him. His thoughts were dwelling on his little brother again. Concerts always made him remember because TK had always been at every concert, cheering Matt on. But, TK was never at concerts anymore, because TK was gone.

Matt internally winced at he thought that last sentence. It still pained him to think it, though it had been just over a year since his brother had last been seen. It wouldn't be so hard, he told himself, if he had closure; if he knew for sure whether or not TK was...was dead. But, they had nothing, and that hurt most of all.

It was that pain that had caused him to give up music for a while after TK vanished; he couldn't take the memories. But, about six months ago, his parents had convinced him that if he really wanted to honor TK, he would keep playing, because TK wouldn't have wanted him to quit. It still hurt every time he played, though.

Glancing over at Tai, he could tell that his friend was currently thinking some of the same things about Kari. Kari had always been at Tai's soccer games, so when she disappeared, the elder brother had given up soccer, just as Matt had given up music. However, he later continued to play, using the same reason as Matt, he knew Kari wouldn't have wanted him to quit, and he wanted to honor her wishes.

As they walked down the quiet side streets, they weren't surprised to find them deserted. After all, who else would be out this late on such a chilly night? Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

"Hey, wait!" a boy's voice called.

Matt paused, he knew that voice...but he couldn't place it. He hoped it wasn't one of his crazed fans who _still _liked to follow him around. Maybe it would be better just to keep walking.

"Wait up!" a girl's voice chimed, when the two elder boys didn't stop.

This time it was Tai who felt a flash of recognition. Passing it off as a soccer fan, he still didn't stop. He just wanted to be alone right now, he didn't need or want anyone to talk to.

"'Nii-san, wait!" the two voices chimed together, causing the boys to stop dead in their tracks, the call echoing in their heads.

It couldn't be true...it couldn't be true...Turning slowly, still in shock, the two boys had no time to look at the figures running towards them as they were both bowled over in enthusiastic hugs.

Matt stared down at the figure who was clutching his chest as they landed on the ground. He could make out blonde hair. The only young boy he knew with blonde hair was...

"T...K...?" he asked, unbelieving.

The figure looked up at him and Matt caught the gaze of the familiar blue eyes. "I'm home Yama," he replied simply, quietly.

At that time, all the emotional walls Matt had built up to try to cage his sorrow when TK had disappeared came crumbling down. He clutched his little brother tightly, tears flowing freely down his cheeks and into the hair of the smaller boy.

"TK, it's you...it's really you..." Matt mumbled, rocking TK slightly as he still held him tightly.

Next to them, Tai had recognized Kari as well and had her in a crush hold.

"God Kari...you're back...you're actually back..." he murmured, tears rolling down his cheeks now, though he really could care less if anyone saw. All that mattered was that his baby sister was back in his arms.

"Did you miss me big brother?" Kari asked softly, tightening her hold on the older boy.

Tai couldn't reply, his airway had constricted too much. He simply held her close. After a few minutes, everyone had pulled themselves together enough to stand up again.

"What happened to you two?" Tai asked softly, still holding Kari's arm, not quite willing to let her go just yet.

The two younger siblings stayed silent for a moment, inwardly debating on a suitable answer. Takeru found one first.

"A lot," he replied simply, truthfully. Then, he turned to Matt. "I'm tired 'nii-san, can we go home now?"

Realizing that the two children...no, the two _teenagers_, weren't going to say any more that night, Matt nodded and wrapped an arm around TK's shoulders as the group began to walk down the street again. He briefly noticed an odd-looking armband, but decided to say nothing, as it really wasn't important. What _was _important was that his brother was back, safe and sound. And for as long as he lived, Matt planned to keep it that way.

Fin.

A/N: well, there it is. My first really long story. I have an idea for a sequel in which the other digidestined get involved, and both old and new enemies appear. If anyone wants it, I'll write it, if not, I won't. It's that simple. Also, if you do want it, feel free to throw out any ideas or anything you want to see in it. I'll try to accomodate you.


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